Alabama Sugar
by Natchez
Summary: What might happen if yet another Southern woman joined Major Crimes, even temporarily? Care to find out? Read on! Flynn/OC
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

**A/N:** My first "Closer" fanfic. What would happen if fate dropped another Southern woman into the Major Crimes division, even temporarily? Reviews are most welcome! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 1: Introductions**

From the day she walked in, and Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson introduced her, "Y'all, this is Detective Kelly Hargove, homicide, Huntsville, Alabama police department," Lieutenant Andy Flynn's life had been much more difficult. Another Southern woman in his life, by God. He didn't know if he could handle it.

On the surface, the two women couldn't have been more different. Brenda was slender and willowy and had, as Andy once observed, "great legs." Kelly Hargrove was sturdy, curvy and outweighed the deputy chief by at least 50 pounds and was about five inches over the chief's five feet even. The chief had a good sense of humor, but tended toward the serious. Detective Hargrove's laugh bubbled over at least a hundred times a day. She found everything amusing, especially Lieutenant Provenza, which tickled his ego and made him go to great lengths to keep her amused. Her wry observations about the top brass kept the whole squadroom in stitches. The chief made a constant effort to keep her emotions firmly under wraps (even if no one was ever fooled), while Kelly Hargrove's temper boiled over, white-hot, but cooled as quickly. But they were both still from that mysterious section of the country known as the South.

"How long will Detective Hargrove be with us, chief?" asked Lt. Provenza.

"About six months, lieutenant," Brenda answered. "She's the one on the exchange program with Detective Daniels."

"Oh, O.K." That was Lieutenant Mike Tao. "I saw your record. You have a couple of impressive arrests under your belt."

The detective grinned. "Not mine alone, I can tell you. We've got a great squad down there. But I know I'll learn a lot from you guys. I'm glad to be here." Her accent, while distinctly Southern, was different from the chief's. It was a little faster, a bit more clipped. But that lilting cadence was there. It irritated Andy. Made him feel odd. Like his skin was too tight or something. She shook hands with him and gave him a thousand-watt smile. Now why did his heart want to race, just a little?

He returned the smile. "Glad to have you with us," he said.

"Thank you."

"Have you seen much of the city, detective?" asked Detective Julio Sanchez.

"Not a lot. Flew into LAX day before yesterday and slept like the dead for about 12 hours. Lord, what a flight! You know, really, the only tourist trap I'm truly interested in seeing is the Chinese Theater. Rodeo Drive would be cool, too, but the theater would be wonderful."

"I'd love to show you around, Detective," Lt. Provenza said.

"That would be so nice of you," she answered. "But please, call me Kelly. All of you – when it's just us, call me Kelly."

Probably, Provenza _was_ just being nice, Andy thought. Kelly Hargrove really wasn't Provenza's type. So why did it bother him that it might be more than just being nice?

* * *

Two weeks later, Andy walked into the squadroom about 7:30 a.m. Kelly was already at her desk, working on some background checks. She looked up at him. "Mornin', Andy."

"Hi Kelly," he said. "What are you doing here so early?"

She grinned. "My clock's still on Central Time. It's 9:30 in Huntsville. I couldn't sleep, so I decided I'd come on in while it was still quiet."

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"That would be real sweet of you."

Andy brought in two steaming cups and Kelly took a sip. "It's good. Thanks."

"You're welcome. You drink it black?" he asked.

"Is there any other way to drink it?" she said with a smile.

"Not to me." Andy decided Kelly's personality wasn't quite as hard to get used to as the chief's. Or maybe he was just getting used to being around Southerners.

"So, how did the trip to the Chinese theater go with Provenza?" he asked.

Kelly laughed out loud. "We had a good time. That man is a trip! I didn't believe half the stuff he told me."

"Good thinking," Andy said dryly. "His usual crap, I'm sure."

"Yeah, but it didn't bother me. He's a good man. He's just so funny. He's sweet, though. Bless his heart," she said.

Andy cocked his head at Kelly. "Tell me, what exactly does that mean? Chief Johnson says it sometimes."

Kelly grinned. "It's sort of a qualifier, I suppose. Kind of saying, 'well, you have to excuse him' or something like that. It can mean a lot of things, depending on the context."

"God, Kelly, when you say stuff like that, you sound like an English professor!"

"That's my major, Andy. I was going to teach, then ended up at the police academy."

Andy shook his head. "I can't figure you Southern women out."

That got another grin and a wrinkled nose. "That's the whole idea, sugar," Kelly answered. "You're not _supposed_ to figure us out. Until we want you to. If then."

Something in Andy's pulse jumped at that "sugar." "Is that so?" he said.

"That's so. See, the women's libbers had it all wrong. A strong Southern woman always controls the relationship. She just lets the man _think _he's in control. Everybody gets what they want, that way," she said, looking over her glasses at him and giving him a sassy wink.

To Andy's shock and dismay, the picture cleared for him. The Southern accent, the whole Southern belle mystique thing _didn't_ irritate him. Not in an angry way, anyhow. What he really wanted to do was take Kelly Hargrove in his arms, kiss her breathless and prove he was definitely in control.

Kelly sensed the change in the atmosphere and turned back to look at Andy. One hand was clenched at his side and he was staring intently at her. There was definite heat in those brown eyes, too. His whole body was tense, and Kelly had the feeling that, if they were somewhere not subject to prying eyes, she'd be getting the kiss of her life, right now. Not that she would mind so much. Andy Flynn was one sexy man. She just hadn't been tuned in to him before. She was now, though.

At that interesting moment, two voices sounded. "I'm telling you, chief, this don't feel right," Provenza said.

"What are you talking about?" Brenda asked.

"Just that I don't think that ziphead was telling me everything he knew," Provenza answered.

"He will, then. Give him some more time to think about things. Good morning, Lieutenant, Detective."

"Morning chief," Flynn answered.

"Hey, chief," said Kelly.

Andy shot Kelly another smoldering look that made her think he intended to continue their conversation at another time. She looked forward to it. It was always -stimulating- to match wits with a man who made her toes curl like Andy Flynn did.


	2. Chapter 2: Tainted Love?

**A/N:** You were wondering where the crime was? Here it is. A cold case, re-heated. I have to admit: the details of the case did not come solely from my imagination. They are largely taken from a real case, names changed, of course. Enjoy, and please, R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 2: Tainted Love?**

"Bloody, ain't it?" Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson said, surveying the crime scene photos. They were tacked up on the white board. Convicted murderer Corey John Lewis was getting a new trial, and Pope had asked Major Crimes to look into the case.

"Yeah," Detective Kelly Hargrove answered. "Spectacularly so." She took off her glasses and looked at Brenda. "Chief, does it not seem strange to you that the CSI people never found a single bloody footprint, not a single fingerprint, nothing that didn't belong to someone in that house, except for two hairs? Doesn't that just strike you as _weird_? There was blood all over two floors of this house, but nary a stray fingerprint, no fibers. Nothing except two hairs — that can't even definitively be traced to the suspect? The only real thing they got on him was that he pawned a camcorder that may or may not have been stolen from the house. He was a meth head, yeah, but except for a shoplifting charge, and possession, never was charged with a single violent crime. It stinks, chief. It just stinks!"

"I agree," Brenda replied. "And what stinks even more is the witness, who said she saw the victim at her mailbox long after she was supposed to have died, was never even interviewed by the police. Somebody dropped the ball on this homicide investigation."

"Now you know why Taylor isn't a deputy chief," Kelly said dryly, looking over the file. "He was the lead investigator."

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Stinks to high heaven, let's say. And a man's been in jail nine years for a crime he may not have committed."

"Well, at least the retrial motion was granted, so we have an opportunity to get it right, this time," Kelly said.

"And I intend to."

About that time, the rest of the Major Crimes crew came into the squadroom. Kelly's heart skipped a beat. Andy had been on a stakeout and wore a dark red shirt and jeans instead of a suit. That color just suited him. So did those jeans. She grinned at him. "Hey Andy. Hey, Provenza. Julio, your left shoe's untied. Hey, David."

"God it's a scorcher today," Andy groused. "I was roasting on that stakeout."

"At least there's no humidity," Kelly answered. "I checked the weather in Huntsville. The humidity is 70 percent and the temperature's 92. That's miserable, let me tell you."

"So it's true what they say that it's not the heat, it's the humidity," Provenza said.

"Yes!" Brenda and Kelly said in unison, then laughed.

"You just don't know how good you've got it out here," Brenda said. Then she turned serious. "Lieutenant Flynn, what did you find out today?"

"Not a lot, chief. I don't think there's much to see around Mohler's office."

"I figured that," Brenda said. "But it was worth a shot. Now then. I never thought the good husband was interviewed thoroughly, so I want to talk to him."

"He has an alibi, chief," said Lt. Tao.

"Yeah, and after the trial, his office manager, who provided that alibi, took off for the Caymans with $20,000 in her pocket," said Kelly. "Sound suspicious to anybody but me?"

Sgt. Gabriel's desk phone rang. He answered it and spoke for a moment. "Chief, Narcotics just picked up Donald Mohler for possession."

"Did they now? Well, how nice they've delivered the very man I want to talk to!" Brenda exclaimed. "Lieutenant Flynn, I want you and Lieutenant Provenza to go talk to Lisa Sandy. She's the woman who said she saw Mrs. Mohler at the mailbox. Detective Sanchez, please re-interview the pharmacist who said he talked to Mr. Mohler the afternoon his wife died. Lieutenant Tao, I want you and Detective Hargrove to keep looking at those finances, the crime scene photos and anything the original team might have missed. Sergeant Gabriel, please come with me to the interview room. Thank you."

They nodded at the chief, the guys trailed back out and Kelly turned back to her desk. "Hey Mike," she said to Lt. Tao, "Have you ever really looked at the evidence list of the stuff they found in that house?"

"Yeah. You saw the gym bag, too, didn't you?" he answered.

"I sure did. There were _twenty-seven_ bags of pot and a brick of hashish in that bag! But the camcorder was gone. Now what I want to know is, first, why didn't Taylor arrest Mohler's sorry tail for possession with intent, and second, what druggie do you know would take the camcorder and _leave_ the drugs?"

"Kelly, that's been in my mind since this case went to trial nine years ago. Now you never heard me say this, but what I _heard_, was that Donald Mohler was the divorce attorney for several members of the top brass at the LAPD, and for some prominent city officials, and they were covering his butt," Tao said.

"At the expense of an innocent man's life." Kelly snorted. "They oughta be horsewhipped. I mean, Lord knows it can happen anywhere, but this is just awful. Have you looked at that hard drive on the computer?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Full of gay porn sites. People do what they do, but that might have been the last straw for Mrs. Mohler. Maybe she found it and confronted her husband."

"And he went nuts. It's a possibility."

A couple of hours later, FBI Agent Fritz Howard walked into the squadroom and Kelly hailed him. "Hey, Agent Howard! C'mere. I want to ask you something."

"What's up, Detective?"

"I know Corey John Lewis was granted a new trial. I know it was because the prosecution allegedly withheld an FBI report from the defense. Please tell me what was in that report, will you? Everybody else knows what was in it. I don't."

Fritz grinned at the detective. "O.K. The prosecution requested the FBI look at the case and put together a profile of the suspect. So we did. The prosecution first said there was no such report, but it mysteriously turned up on the judge's desk, so they had to admit to it. That's what got Lewis the new trial."

"Because the report was withheld, or because it contained exculpatory evidence?"

"Both. The profile just didn't fit Lewis. I mean, those things are rarely 100 percent, but if they list, say, ten points, the correct suspect usually turns up with at least six or seven of them, if not more."

Kelly rested her chin on her hands. This was fascinating. "Go on, please. What didn't fit?"

"Almost nothing. The profile speculated the killer was close to the victim, because of the extreme violence of the act. Lewis had met Mrs. Mohler once or twice, when he was installing their satellite TV. The profile also said the lack of physical evidence for the killer suggested the killer was thinking very clearly during the act, which kind of rules out a meth-crazed spree, don't you think? Then, the profile also said the killer should be of fairly substantial physical size. Mrs. Mohler wasn't a petite woman. She was 5'7 and weighed about 135 pounds. Lewis is tall, but when he was arrested, he didn't weigh much over 160. He was skinny – typical druggie. You know." Kelly nodded. Agent Howard continued, "Well, Donald Mohler is every bit of 6'2 and probably weighs 220. Big guy."

"Wow. "

"Yeah. This whole case has been a real black eye for the LAPD. That's why Brenda is so set on making sure you guys do it right, this time."

"I agree with her."

Brenda, meanwhile, had been waylaid on her way to interview Mohler, and was in Will Pope's office. "Look, Brenda. I know Lewis got a new trial, but that doesn't change the evidence, does it? Why are you trying so hard to prove Mohler did it?"

"Because I know he did, Will. I _know_ he did! Like I know my own name! And ten years later, there's a lot we can do that we couldn't do then. Plus, this case will have a completely new set of eyes on it, except for Provenza, and he was never convinced the right man was convicted, either. I trust Provenza for a lot of reasons. One is because that bloodhound's nose of his has a funny way of being right."

Will ceded that point with a characteristic nod. "True. So what do we have on Mohler besides the narcotics charge?"

"A lot of little things that don't seem like much by themselves, but when you add them up, they look awfully suspicious. Lt. Tao is looking at that computer hard drive again. He said there's something funny about those porn images. You know, there's a database of kiddie porn images we can compare them to, now. We didn't have that in 2000. And if his wife saw something she thought might have been kiddie porn on that computer, it sure would go a long way to blow up that 'happy couple' Disneyland front Mohler's been throwing up."

"No doubt. So how's Detective Hargrove working out?"

Brenda grinned. "Just fine! Let me tell you, it's so good to say somethin' around here and not have six sets of eyes lookin' at me like I just grew a horn out the top of my head! Sgt. Gabriel says listening to us talk is like listening to a foreign language." She laughed. "And I think she's gonna run Andy Flynn up a tree."

"Flynn? What's his beef with Hargrove?"

"He don't have one and it's drivin' him crazy. I know he calls me 'Miss Atlanta' and I know Southerners irritate the devil out of him. Oh, I know I can be a little difficult..."

Will just cleared his throat.

"Hush, Will. But, she's not nearly as – high strung – as I know I can be. I think that confuses him. He was expecting her to be just like me, and she's not. So he's just a little stunned right now. But Lordy, does that detective ever have a temper! She slams that phone down all the time and yells at the caller."

"Not on the phone, I hope?" Will was always concerned about the department's public image.

"No, no. Just after she hangs up. And she's been threatening to put mousetraps in all her desk drawers if the guys don't stop rifling through her stuff, looking for things. She might do it, too."

Will chuckled. "Let's just get that case closed, regardless of who the suspect turns out to be."

"You got it," Brenda said, as she exited the chief's office. Gabriel was behind her. A thought occurred to Brenda.

"Sergeant? Something just occurred to me. I don't want to spook Mohler by grilling him now. Let me talk to the Assistant DA. I want him released on bail."

"C'mon chief! He's as good as convicted, now!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I want a sure thing. If we give him just a teensy bit more rope, I'm bettin' he'll hang himself for us."

"What if he runs?"

"Runs where? We've still got his car and his passport."

"You're the chief," Gabriel said, resignation in his voice.


	3. Chapter 3: Love is a Battlefield

**A/N:** First, thank you so much for the reviews! I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and review my work. Here's a little insight into how my version of how Andy Flynn's little brain works. The good stuff is on the way, I promise! Just put up with a tad of background, if you will. Also, Kelly isn't perfect. You know she's got a temper. Plus, about certain things, she thinks she knows everything. Please continue to R&R. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 3: Love is a Battlefield**

"Hey Kelly. Spell 'accommodate.'" Flynn asked. He was writing a report.

"Two c's and two m's. Accommodate," Kelly said.

"It's just one 'm' I thought," Andy replied.

"Nope, two." Kelly was looking for something online, not really paying a great deal of attention to Andy. For some reason, this nettled him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. Two a's, two c's, two o's, two m's, one 'd', one 't' and one 'e'." Kelly was still staring at the computer screen, not really engaged in the conversation.

"You are such a know it all!" Andy said.

"Get over it. You've got a dictionary on your desk. Use it." Her tone was just shy of bored, but there was a superior hint to it, as well. She still hadn't even glanced in Andy's direction. Not ignoring him, exactly, but not interested, either. She _was_ a know it all! Way worse than Tao.

"Why you…" his voice trailed off. Kelly was paying attention to him, now. Looking him straight in the eyes, until he felt like crawling under a rock.

"Say it, Lieutenant. Get it over with. You know you want to," she said. Her voice was quietly menacing.

"What, and have you haul me up on a complaint? Not on your life!" he bluffed, loudly. The whole squad was watching now.

Kelly stood. "I don't file complaints, Lieutenant. I settle stuff face to face. You want to say it, say it." She still wasn't yelling.

"Settle it, how? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You get the pleasure of calling me a bitch. Then, I get the pleasure of slapping you into the middle of next week!"

Andy's eyes widened at that statement. Tao's mouth was hanging open and Provenza was snickering. "You just threatened me!" Andy said.

"I did not threaten you. I made you a stone cold promise. You get it out of your system and then take your medicine like a man. If not, then close your mouth and let's get back to work."

"You're just such a know it all, dammit!"

"Yes, I am, and if you'd have left it there, we wouldn't be having this pleasant conversation, now would we? I'm a know it all and you're obnoxious! Now that we've gotten to know each other, leave me alone and LET ME WORK!"

Andy sat, wordless. Kelly sat, too, and started banging on her keyboard with a force that threatened to end its life prematurely.

Provenza excused himself to the men's room, just so he could laugh. Tao kept working, shooting nervous glances and Andy and Kelly. Andy continued writing his report.

The room was emptying for the evening, and Andy was still seething. Kelly approached his desk.

"I'm sorry, Andy. I shouldn't have lost my temper and said those things. It wasn't right and I'm sorry."

He looked up, and suddenly, the anger drained out. "Me too. But you're right. I am obnoxious."

"And I _am_ a know it all. But I will try to do better."

"I will, too."

Kelly grinned at him. "Have a good night, Andy." She ruffled the back of his hair.

"You too, Kelly."

As Kelly walked to her car, she was thinking she really, really should have kissed Andy.

* * *

The squadroom lights were mostly off. Andy sat at his desk, surfing the net on his computer, but not really paying any attention to what he was searching for. He glanced over to Kelly's desk. She had personalized it a bit, with a couple of "Far Side" cartoons from calendars, and a stuffed elephant wearing a crimson sweater with a white "A", which, she told him, was the mascot for the University of Alabama. The fresh flowers she brought in that morning were still bright. She said people so intimately involved with death needed reminders of new life. Oh, hell. He just couldn't stop thinking about her.

He thought about how Brenda and Kelly were so different. Brenda wore floral print dresses, slacks, silk blouses to work. She kept the sun off her face with wide-brimmed hats. Kelly wore slacks once in a while, and they were usually black. She wore black pants a lot, in fact – soft cotton knit ones. Never wore a dress or skirt that Flynn could recall. Instead of Brenda's strappy, fragile sandals, Kelly wore walking sandals or flats. She wore cotton tops in vivid colors that set off her chestnut hair and eyes. Everything about Kelly Hargrove was sensible and practical. When outdoors, she wore baseball caps and sunglasses that, she told Flynn, bass fishermen wore to cut the glare.

Even so, Kelly's makeup was always flawless, and Andy found out her favorite thing to buy was lipstick. He heard her telling Brenda about it one afternoon.

"Chief, now you know lipstick sets off your whole look. Get a bad color and all your makeup looks awful. I spend more money on lipstick than anything else."

"Somebody told me they didn't like my lipstick shades," Brenda pouted.

"Well, there's always trial and error involved." Kelly narrowed her eyes as she looked at Brenda. "But you really do need to stay away from the peachy shades. Makes your skin look sallow. There are just a few people who look good in peach. Peach makes me look gray, so even though I love it, I avoid it like the plague. Here," Kelly fumbled in her purse, "Try this rosy pink. I guarantee it will look great on you."

Brenda found a mirror and applied the lipstick. She looked at the result and cocked her head. "Kelly Marie, I do believe we've hit pay dirt!"

"It looks good."

Brenda looked at the color name and lipstick brand and said, "I'll remember this, for sure. I think I'm gonna get two tubes of it, while I'm at it."

"Might as well, once you find one you like."

Flynn chuckled, remembering that exchange. Brenda carried a huge purse, where she could never find anything. Kelly carried a small shoulder bag with room for what she needed, and no more. Practical, sensible, yeah, that was Kelly, but the lipstick conversation told Andy she had a strong feminine side, as well. But just her wristwatch should have told him that, anyway. No diamonds, but it was understated elegance, like the wire frame glasses she wore, and kept in their case when not on her nose.

In truth, as far as the physical went, Brenda really should have been more his type, except he generally preferred slightly taller women. But she was slender and petite. Kelly wasn't. Well, she wasn't huge or anything, but she was curvy and oh, what was that old word they used to describe women like her? Started with a "b." He pulled out his phone and looked at the dictionary app. "B. B-U," he murmured. The dictionary suggested "buxom." Was that it? He looked at the definition "Vigorously or healthily plump. Specifically, full-bosomed." Well, the "full-bosomed" part wasn't necessarily applicable, but the other part, yeah. "Buxom." That was the word for Kelly, definitely. But Andy was finding that "buxom" was not a bad thing at all. He even mentioned it to Provenza one afternoon when they were running down a lead.

"Provenza, you ever notice Kelly?"

"Notice, how?" Provenza answered, but grinned to himself. He had thought there might be something brewing in that direction. Call it his detective instincts.

"Notice, well, I mean, she's not little like the chief, but she's, well…" his voice trailed off.

"Light on her feet?" Provenza helpfully supplied.

"Yeah, I guess that's sort of what I mean. I don't know. She's not, well, you know, built like a supermodel."

"No, Lieutenant Flynn, she is not. She's built like a real, live adult woman."

"Is that what I'm trying to say?" Flynn chuckled.

"I believe so. About time you started noticing. And let me tell you, women like her are a whole lot easier to deal with. Trust me on that one."

Andy shook his head. "Which ex-wife are you talking about?"

"The ex-girlfriend I let get away. If I'd married _her_, I'd still be married. Guaranteed. Ever notice how Kelly lifts her chin when she looks at you, and looks you right in the eye?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know, but chief says she knows good breeding when she sees it, and Kelly has it. Like the chief, she's a real lady."

"I'd already figured that much out. But she's not the chief."

"Nope. Not at all. She's not prissy, for one thing. She doesn't stick her nose in the air and flounce out of the room." Provenza called 'em as he saw 'em, always.

"No," Andy said aloud in the squadroom. "She just stares right into your eyes until you feel like the lowest piece of crap on earth. But God, she has a temper!"

Then he had asked Provenza, "But why is she so interesting?"

"She's smart and not near as prickly as the chief. Andy, I think you're getting a case on our little Miss Alabama."

"Nah. Just haven't met too many women like her."

Provenza snorted. "Yeah, you have. You were just too busy chasing the other kind to notice them."

"Could be," was all Andy would allow on that.

He sat at his desk, thinking about these things, and about Kelly's innate kindness. Andy found out about that when he came out of an AA meeting. His group met at a local church and he saw Kelly in the parking lot, talking to a woman. He started to slink away, but she saw him. "Hey, Andy!" she called. He turned, with what he knew was the classic deer-in-the-headlights look, and waved back. Kelly said good-night to her friend and went to catch up with him.

"Hey! What's up?" she said.

"Oh, nothing. Just the usual," he answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I go to church here. While I'm living here, anyway. So, what are you doing here?"

"Um, well, I was at a meeting."

Andy was clearly uncomfortable, and suddenly Kelly remembered who met at the church. "Meeting of the Hope Group?" she said.

He dropped his eyes. "Yeah," he mumbled. He really hadn't intended on her knowing about this.

"How long have you been sober?" she asked.

"Ten years."

"That's awesome!" Kelly exclaimed.

Andy looked at her. "I figured you'd just think I was a drunk or something."

"Andy, I'd way rather know you've got 10 years of sobriety under your belt and you're faithful to your program, than to deal with you as a drunk, because I've got a sneaking suspicion you are one more mean S.O.B. when you're drunk. Am I right?"

That got a wry grin. "Possibly, yeah."

"Then I'm glad you're clean and sober. I know you've worked hard to stay that way. It's not an easy road." Kelly's tone was sincere.

He shook his head. "No, it's not. And with some of the cases we deal with, the only thing I really want to do is go tie one on, just so I don't have to think about it."

Kelly smiled sympathetically. "I can understand how that would seem like a good idea some nights."

Andy nodded. "Yeah. But it's not. Ask my two ex-wives."

"You'd do better now. You're sober. As we say in my part of the world, I'm not just proud of you, I'm proud _for_ you. You wrestled that demon to the mat and he ain't back up yet." Kelly elbowed Andy gently, which got a genuine grin.

"You're good people, Kelly," he said.

"Thank you, sugar. So are you."

There it was again. That "sugar." What was it about that word, in that accent, that made his pulse jump? Had Brenda ever called him sugar? Maybe, but he didn't remember it having the same effect on him then. It had to be Kelly, then.

Andy's desk phone rang, jerking him back to the present. Wrong number. He hung up, then shut his computer down. Provenza was right. He had a serious case for Detective Kelly Hargrove. Real serious.


	4. Chapter 4: Sugar, Sugar

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! They do feed the writing beast. :) O.K., finally, a little good stuff. Please continue to R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 4: Sugar, Sugar**

Kelly hadn't made good on the mousetrap in her desk threat, but she did have a few other tricks up her sleeve. Sanchez was searching for a stapler on Kelly's desk the next morning and found a small envelope labeled "rattlesnake eggs."

"Hey! Guys! Hargrove has rattlesnake eggs on her desk!"

"Rattlesnake eggs?" said Gabriel. "Are you serious?"

"Says so right on the package!" Sanchez replied. "Has a picture and everything!"

"Leave it alone," Provenza said, reading the morning paper.

"But Provenza! They're _rattlesnake_ eggs!" Sanchez exclaimed

"Leave it alone, Julio. I'm telling you. Didn't your mama ever tell you not to mess with stuff that doesn't belong to you? Put it back."

By this time, Andy had his nose in the conversation. "Open it up, Julio. What the hell do you think is really in there? Must be something good."

Kelly was standing in the doorway, unnoticed by anyone except Provenza. He shrugged his shoulders at her and continued reading. Lt. Tao looked at her with a wry grin. She returned it.

Julio said, "Yeah, you're right, Andy. It's gotta be something really good." He shook the envelope. "There's something in here." He lifted the envelope flap and an incredibly loud rattling noise escaped, making Sanchez yell and drop the envelope, while Flynn and Gabriel backed away with yelps.

Kelly, Tao and Provenza exploded into laughter. The three men turned to see them and knew they'd been had.

"What the hell was in that?" Flynn yelled.

"Use your inside voice, Andrew," Kelly said, as she went to her desk and picked up the envelope. "It's a coiled spring. Sounds a whole lot like a rattler when it uncoils in that envelope, though." She was still laughing. "City boys. Haven't you all ever seen that old gag?"

"I told you to leave it alone, Sanchez. But no, the old man don't know nothin'." Provenza looked smug.

"What's the idea of scaring the crap out of us, anyway?" Andy said.

"How many times have I told you and Gabriel and Sanchez to quit pilfering my desk because you can't find something on your own?" Kelly retorted. "I don't keep up with your misplaced staplers, or paper clips, or pens or sticky notes or anything else. If you'd left my desk alone, you wouldn't have been scared, now would you?"

There was no refuting that kind of logic. Tao chuckled and returned to his computer. The others drifted back to their desks, Andy giving Kelly dirty looks the whole way.

"Don't look at me like that, Lieutenant," Kelly said. "It's your own blasted fault."

"It's your own blasted fault," he mocked under his breath. "Sneaky b... witch."

Kelly chuckled.

Brenda walked into the room juggling a dozen folders and her big purse. "Good mornin'. Looks like a busy one today." She dropped the folders. "Oh, SHOOT!" she exclaimed.

Kelly was near the door and helped her pick up the folders. "Chief, why don't you let me get the folders and you take that tow sack with handles you call a purse and put it on your desk?"

Brenda looked at her large handbag. "You know, Detective, now that you mention it, it _does_ look a little like a tow sack, doesn't it?"

"Nearly as big, anyway. How much cotton do you reckon that thing would hold?" Kelly asked, as they walked to the chief's office.

Brenda considered it. "Oh, eight or ten pounds, at least," she said.

"Yeah, I'd say that's about right," Kelly answered.

The other team members were looking at each other quizzically. When the women came out of Brenda's office, Sanchez said, "Um, chief, what's a 'tow sack'?"

Brenda and Kelly looked at each other and burst out laughing. "It's just kind of pitiful, ain't it?" Brenda said.

Kelly nodded. "Let me show you what else is pitiful." She picked up the "rattlesnake eggs" envelope from her desk. "Guess which cats got the pee scared out of them for their curiosity?"

The chief grinned. "Who opened it?"

"Sanchez. But Gabriel and Flynn were right in there with him. You should have seen it. Wish I'd thought to video it on my phone."

"Oh, Detective, I wish you had, too! That would have made me laugh from now on!" Brenda grinned at her team. Sanchez, Gabriel and Flynn were looking very disgusted. "Now people," Brenda said, "You can't say she didn't tell you to stay out of her desk. Be glad it wasn't a mousetrap. That's what she told me she was going to do. Every one of you deserved what you got."

"You've seen that before, Chief?" asked Sanchez.

"Oh my Lord, yes. Every boy in the fourth grade had one."

"O.K. But what's a tow sack?"

Brenda sighed. "Detective Sanchez, a tow sack is a large, burlap bag that you carry when you're picking cotton by hand."

"Oh," he answered, clearly not understanding.

"Look it up on the Internet, Sanchez," Kelly said.

"O.K. Tow sacks and rattlesnake eggs aside, I said we've got a busy morning, and we do. I've got a funny feeling Mr. Mohler is going to try something stupid today, and I want us to be there when he does. Lieutenant Provenza, I want you and Detective Sanchez to keep an eye on the front of the house. Lieutenants Tao and Flynn, and Detective Hargrove, you all can park down the street in case he slips out the back way. Sergeant Gabriel, you're with me."

"Yes ma'am," came the chorus.

"Chief, I think Mohler's looking for a way out," Provenza told Brenda over the phone. He and Sanchez were watching the man's condo. Mohler was on his cell phone out front, looking up and down the street.

"Well, for God's sake, don't let him go anywhere!" Brenda answered. "We don't need him lookin' all over creation for how to get out of L.A.!"

Lieutenants Tao and Sanchez and Detective Hargrove were in the car down the street. Provenza called Andy and told him the news.

"Showtime," Andy said. "What do you carry, Kelly?"

"Browning 9 mm. 15-round clip. Fits my hands," she answered.

"Nothin' wrong with that," Flynn said. "You go around back and yell if he tries to get out that way. We know he's armed, so be careful. Tao and I will block off the side alley."

"Gotcha. See you in a few," Kelly said as she got out of the car.

She eased down the back alley and crouched behind some trash cans. She sat for several minutes when a commotion in the back got her attention. She peeked over the cans. Mohler was unlatching the back gate. She cocked her weapon and stood.

"LAPD!" she yelled. "Get on the ground!"

Mohler froze, then drew his weapon and fired in her direction. It went wide and she screamed, "Freeze, Mohler! My aim is way better than yours!"

He squeezed off another shot as he ran in the other direction. It missed also, and Kelly sighed. "Dammit," she muttered. She ran toward Mohler at full speed, turned her shoulder into his side and field tackled him. She could hear other voices as she struggled with the man. He had the height and weight on her, but at least she had body armor. She was on her back, kicking, hitting, pulling hair, biting, fighting for her life. Suddenly, she was free and she had a perfect view of Andy Flynn delivering a brutal right cross to Mohler's cheek.

Kelly watched Provenza, Tao and Sanchez take Mohler into custody. They walked him back to the car and out of sight. She got up.

"God, but that was close," she said, holstering her pistol and wiping the dirt from her pants.

"What possessed you to do that?" Andy Flynn came from behind Kelly and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. His eyes were burning with anger. "That wasn't safe, Detective! You knew he was armed! What the hell were you thinking?"

"That someone had to get him down, regardless," she answered. "Chief wanted him arrested, not dead."

"What if you'd been killed? What would we have told your boss in Huntsville?"

"That I took the same risks here all cops are expected to take!" she answered. "Now turn me loose, if you don't mind, Lieutenant Flynn!"

"Not on your life," he growled, and brought his mouth to hers. He kissed her urgently, desperately, holding her hair in his hands, before sliding his arms around her, pulling her closer. Even her body armor wasn't much of a barrier, as he locked his thighs to hers and kept kissing her, trailing his mouth down her jawline, her neck, whispering to her.

She heard his hoarse whispers, "Kelly, Kelly. Oh God, what would I have done if you'd been killed? Kelly, babe, don't do that to me. Please. Don't do that." At first, she was shocked, and not a little angry at Andy. How dare he manhandle her like this? Then she heard what he was saying.

Tentatively, she raised her hand to stroke that beautiful, now rumpled, silver hair. "Shhh," she said. "Hush now, sugar. It's all over. I'm O.K. and it's over now."

Finally, Andy raised his head. Having a woman call him "sugar" in that sweet, soft, Southern accent had to be one of the sexiest things on God's green earth. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Kelly," he said.

"I'll try not to. And I won't report you for harassment over that kiss, either." Her voice was teasing.

"That's good. Let's have dinner," he said.

Kelly checked her watch. "Meet me at my place at seven. I'm cooking."

"Not some of that stuff the chief talks about," he said, a little anxiously.

"Well, I'd planned on hog jowl, collard greens and corn pone," she drawled, then chuckled at the shocked look on his face. "You know Brenda Leigh talks about that stuff just so she can laugh at the looks on your faces, don't you? No, you don't know. Too funny. Sugar, I hate collards and would never cook them. They stink up the house. But I promise you'll like what I cook."

Andy grinned. There was that "sugar" again. His gaze heated up. "Can we go straight to dessert?"

Kelly raised her eyebrows at him. "Baby, I haven't said I'll sleep with you. I'm a little old-fashioned that way." She kissed his cheek softly. "See you at seven," she said.

"Yeah," Andy answered. He thought he might have to take a cold, cold shower when he got back to the station.

* * *

"Kissed me like there was no tomorrow, Brenda," Kelly said as she and the chief had lunch at a little cafe the guys didn't frequent.

"Did he now?" She shook her head. "I always knew Andy Flynn had it in him. Still waters run deep, they say. And he doesn't get excited about much except a case."

"I'd had a feeling for a couple of weeks that he was sizing me up, you know. Didn't know if he'd act on it, though. But he did. Woof."

Brenda giggled. "I'm kinda proud of him, really. Takes a lot of guts to do that to a Southern woman who's a cop. You coulda beat him senseless!"

Kelly laughed at that. "Yeah, you're right. It does take guts. How old is Andy, anyway?"

Brenda thought a moment. "Wellll, I'm 46, and he's eight or nine years older than I am, so he'd be 54 or 55."

"He's a smokin' hot 54 or 55," Kelly replied.

"He is that, girl. Always has been. When I first met him, he hated my guts, and I have to say the feelin' was mutual, but I always thought he was a silver-haired fox. Didn't wanna admit it, of course, but I still thought it."

"I can see why. But hon, that Fritz is a hottie, himself! None of the Birmingham agents look like that, let me tell you! I'm surprised they don't use him in a recruiting film. The number of female applicants would triple."

Brenda blushed and smiled. "He is pretty cute, ain't he? I kinda think so."

Kelly grinned, too. "So when are you going to interview Mohler?"

"I've been thinking about that. I'll do that in the mornin'. Or maybe middle of the afternoon. There's really no big rush. We've got enough to hold him from now on. Let him spend another night in a holding cell, wondering what we know. I want him real anxious and keyed up."

"He might lawyer up."

"Nah. He thinks he's a legal genius. He'll defend himself. And then, bam! We've got him!"

* * *

Andy could smell whatever it was Kelly had cooking when he got to the front door. She answered his knock with a smile. "Come on in. Sit down and put your feet up." Oh Lord. He was wearing that red shirt and faded jeans again, and a leather bomber jacket that made him too luscious for words. Not that he wasn't, anyway, whatever he was wearing.

"Thanks." He sat down and looked around the house. It was a rental, but Kelly had furnished it nicely and the whole place was warm and inviting. "Something smells good," he said.

She came into the den. "Thanks. I hope you'll like it. It's roast chicken, and I've got fresh veggies from the farmer's market."

"I'm sure it's great," he said.

Kelly tossed him the TV remote. "Make yourself at home while I finish up," she said. He turned to a baseball game.

"Who's playing?" Kelly asked from the kitchen.

"Dodgers and Cubs," he answered.

"Go Cubs!" she said.

"Aren't you a Braves fan?" Andy asked.

"No way. Cubs, then Cardinals."

"Brenda loves the Braves," he answered.

"She's from Atlanta. I'm not. I root for the Cubbies, in spite of their travails."

"Lovable losers," Andy teased.

"Hush. Say that again, and you won't get a bite to eat."

Andy chuckled. "All right then. I'll shut up about your Cubbies. I don't want to miss this meal."

"You sure don't."

Kelly called Andy to the table. She had carved the chicken and serving dishes steamed on the table. A bowl of green salad sat on the side and everything looked wonderful.

"Wow," Andy said. "I don't remember the last time anyone cooked for me like this."

Kelly smiled. "I hope you enjoy it."

They ate, enjoying the salad, the chicken, fresh creamed corn, broccoli with cheese sauce and rolls. Andy pushed back from the table and sighed. "That was incredible. You are a great cook."

"Thanks, Andy. Ready for dessert?"

"Dessert? Are you serious? As in homemade dessert?"

"Absolutely. Ever had homemade peach cobbler?"

"Can't say that I have. Only out of a box, I guess."

She grinned. "Then you're in for a treat." She brought out two dishes of cobbler.

Andy tasted it and smacked his lips. "This is amazing. I could eat the whole pan!"

"It's addictive that way," Kelly answered. She finished her dessert and went to the kitchen. She put the leftovers in the fridge and loaded the dishwasher, and as she set the roasting pan into the sink to soak, a pair of arms came around her.

"What can I do to help?" Andy asked.

"Nothing really," she answered. "But thanks for asking." He felt so good against her, she could hardly think. Her bones melted to caramel when he nuzzled her hair and placed soft kisses on her neck.

"Andy, sugar, can you let me get my hands dried off?" she said.

"Barely," he answered, but backed away enough so Kelly could get a dishtowel to dry her hands. He then took it from her, turned her around to face him and tipped her chin up. When she called him "sugar," it did things to him. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her as though his life depended on it. Maybe it did.

Kelly could hardly breathe. No, Andy wasn't holding her too tightly. There was just all that combustion that sparked into flames the minute he touched her. Those big hands with their long, elegant fingers moved into her hair, massaged the back of her neck. All she could do was put her arms around him and hang on.

Andy couldn't believe how this woman set him on fire. She was a giving softness, all warmth and womanly curves that felt like heaven against him. In the squadroom, she was sturdy and set firmly on her feet. When he kissed her, though, she dissolved against him like soft wax.

He led her into the den, kissing her the whole way, and they tumbled together on the sofa, their kisses growing more feverish. Somehow, Andy's shirt disappeared and Kelly felt his skin under her palms. Her eyes flew open and she took in the picture. Andy might be 55, but he surely didn't look it. His chest was tanned, muscled and smooth, a result of his workouts at the gym. "I swear Kelly," he said. "You make me feel like a horny teenager."

Kelly smiled at Andy, dropped her eyes, and incredibly, blushed. The corner of Andy's mouth turned up at this and he snuggled to her on the sofa. "Never thought I'd ever see a woman blush again," he said.

"I told you I'm a little old-fashioned," she said.

"Yeah you did, didn't you?" He kissed her softly. "I like it. At first," he said, "I thought you Southern women just irritated the hell out of me. Those accents, that way you have of looking at a man, those devious minds. But when you called me 'sugar' the first time, it dawned on me that you didn't irritate me. You turned me on. Those accents didn't aggravate me. Nah. They just made me want to do things to you. How do you keep the men away?" he said, kissing Kelly's neck.

"Not something I usually have to worry about," Kelly said.

Andy pulled away a bit and stared at Kelly. "You're kidding, right?"

Kelly shook her head. "Men tend to want women who aren't quite as – substantial – as I am. They want slender, beautiful women. Not chubby plain ones."

"Plain? _Plain_?" Andy exclaimed. "Who the hell ever told you that you're plain? He needs his eyes checked!" He ran his hand down Kelly's side, making her shiver. "Slender is way overrated. I used to feel the way they do, then this sexy Southern brunette made me change my mind. I found out what it was like to hold a curvy, incredibly hot woman, and suddenly, slender just wasn't all that anymore." He kissed her again.

Kelly stroked that handsome face. His nose was just a little big, but it gave his face character. "And I do believe you're the sexiest man I've ever looked twice at."

The grin Andy gave her made her melt all over again. He kissed her once more, this time including her jawline and neck in the kiss, nibbling her earlobe and whispering very naughty things about what he wanted to do to her. When she felt those warm hands on her skin, she knew she had to slow it down. "Andy, please. Let's not do this. Not tonight."

His brain was a little slow to catch on, but he finally pulled away. "Why not?"

"I'm not here forever, Andy. Let's wait and see what else we've got."

"What else do we need?" The look in those dark eyes was temptation itself.

"Maybe knowing whether we actually get along outside the bedroom. You know, with our clothes on," she answered with a grin.

"You know what? I'm going to have to go to three meetings and call my sponsor to get over this rejection." But he was smiling, too.

"Drama queen. There's nothing that says we can't just be together and snuggle, is there?"

"Nothing except my libido. But it's been disappointed before," he sighed.

"A little self-discipline is good for the soul," Kelly said.

"If you say so," he answered, and felt for his shirt. He slipped it on, but didn't button it. He arranged himself on the sofa so Kelly could snuggle against him and they watched the Cubs and Dodgers play.

Andy was telling the truth when he said he needed to call his sponsor when he got home.

"Andy, bud, I'm glad you called, but you know what? This is really great. Kelly asked you to stop, and you did. You respected her boundaries. You didn't try to talk her into doing what you wanted. I think you're learning a really important lesson here."

"I want you to meet her Jake. She's great."

"She sounds like it. Tell you what. Why don't I come by the squadroom and we'll grab a sandwich, how about it? I can meet her and we can talk."

"Sounds good. See you."

"See you, Andy. I really am glad you called."

"Me too."

Andy didn't get much sleep. He wondered if Kelly spent a restless night, too. She had.


	5. Chapter 5: ColdHearted Snake

**A/N:** Thank you for all the kind reviews! I truly appreciate each one. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I really wish I could take credit for the ideas for this case, but it was big news where I am, although some of the details have been changed. Please continue to R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 5: Cold-Hearted Snake**

As usual, Kelly was in the office early. Andy came in with two cups of coffee. Since the floor was deserted, he leaned in to kiss her neck as he put the coffee on her desk. "Good morning," he murmured in her ear.

"Mornin' sugar," she said.

"Don't say that too much in public," he teased. "You never know what it might make me do." That got a grin. "I didn't sleep too much last night."

"Me either," she replied.

"I bet we'd have slept like babies if I'd spent the night."

Kelly looked at him over her glasses. "You're bad, Andrew. You know this."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

"I don't."

He surveyed her desk. "You know, you and the chief are so funny. Her office is immaculate, and she can never find anything. Your desk is a wreck, but you know where everything is. And you never lose your glasses. She misplaces hers twenty times a day, at least."

Kelly laughed. "My desk in Huntsville looks like this. Drives my chief nuts, but he doesn't say much because I can find anything he asks for. You know, the chief told me you two used to hate each other."

Andy grinned a little sheepishly. "That's been a long time ago."

"What happened to change things?"

He shrugged. "I found out she was interested in justice, and she had my back, no matter what. She wasn't going to let me swing in the wind."

Kelly nodded. "I'm glad you two worked it out. She's a great boss."

"Yeah, she is. I hear Detective Daniels likes Huntsville."

"That's good. I thought she would be a good fit. It's been a learning experience for both of us. Now, I just want to sit in when the chief grills Mohler. I know he killed his wife. I just want to hear him say it, the snake."

"Yeah, I can't wait for that, either.

They were at their respective desks when the rest of the crew began drifting in. "Way to take a shot, Kelly," Provenza said.

"Ahh, he didn't even get close. Near misses only count in horseshoes."

Provenza snorted with laughter at her comeback.

"Folks, I believe I'm gonna let Mr. Mohler think about things for a while before we talk to him. I think it'll do him good," Brenda said as she walked into the room.

A chorus of "Morning, chief" sounded in the room and she walked to the board. "When I think of how _obvious_ it was that Donald Mohler killed his wife ten years ago, I could just _spit_! But I guess only the best team in the LAPD could show everybody else how obvious it was. Ya'll have done a great job on this case, and because you did, an innocent man will go free, and the real killer will get the justice he deserves."

The team was tying up loose ends on the case when Brenda approached Kelly's desk. She motioned her out into the hall. "So how was dinner?" she asked.

"Not bad at all," Kelly answered, grinning.

Brenda giggled. "I'll bet. What did you cook?"

"Roast chicken, vegetables, peach cobbler."

"Chicken? I thought Andy was a vegetarian!" Brenda said.

Kelly clapped her hand to her mouth in horror. "Oh, my Lord. I had no idea! He never said a word. Just ate it. Come to think of it, he didn't eat a _lot_ of the chicken. Mostly the vegetables. I did think he was gonna make himself sick on the cobbler, though."

"I want that cobbler recipe. Kelly, Andy's serious. He ate chicken for you so he wouldn't hurt your feelings." Brenda grinned at the detective.

"Why in the world didn't he say something? Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

"I guess I just thought you knew. It's not like he makes a big deal out of it. But look at it this way: now you know how much he cares about you!"

Kelly chuckled. "You do have a point."

"Now then," Brenda said. "Would you like to do the honors with Mr. Mohler? I really haven't had a chance to watch you in action, and I'd like to see one of us get that confession out of that sorry, no-account excuse for a lawyer."

Kelly was surprised. "Really, chief? I'd love to get my hands on him. I surely would."

Brenda smiled. "Then Kelly Marie, let's you and me go nail his hide to the wall."

"After you, Brenda Leigh."

The whole team was in the electronics room, watching the interrogation. They were accustomed to Brenda's devious play-acting and emotional outbursts to get a confession, and were interested in seeing Kelly's technique.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Mohler," Brenda said. "This is Detective Kelly Hargrove. You met her yesterday. She'll be talking to you for a little while." The women seated themselves.

"Mr. Mohler," Kelly began, "Why did you run from the police yesterday?"

"I was tired of you people hassling me," he said sullenly, holding his bruised face.

"But why run? You were bound to get caught. And taking a potshot at an officer?" She clicked her tongue. "Not smart. You know, as long as I've been doing this, I've found, with just a few exceptions, the reason people run is because they're running from something. What were you running from, Mr. Mohler?"

"Nothing. I told you. I was tired of you people harassing me."

"Harassment's an odd word. And often misused. I wonder if you'd call what you did to your wife just harassment."

"What do you mean? That meth head killed Amanda!"

"So you say. But I suppose you knew he was getting a new trial. And ten years down the road is a lot of time to gain perspective on things."

"I suppose it is," he snapped.

"It is. And things that were just confusing then, seem to have a spotlight of clarity on them now."

The crew was impressed. Kelly's voice had hardly changed in pitch or volume. Provenza said later, very privately, it was like watching a lazy cat play with a mouse.

"For instance, Mr. Mohler, that gym bag. The gym bag you said Corey John Lewis opened and, finding your camcorder inside, stole it and pawned it."

"He did."

"Maybe. And if the gym bag had been taken, or emptied, I might believe you. But the trouble is that meth heads just love drugs. And on the street, drugs are as good as greenbacks. Did you know that those twenty-seven quarter bags of marijuana and the brick of hashish found in that gym bag had a street value of over a thousand dollars?"

"No. Had no idea."

"Of course not. I know it was for personal use, certainly."

"It was."

"Fascinating. And how do you account for the fact that a man, supposedly in the throes of a meth-induced frenzy, murdered your wife - in a bloody, ugly way - I might add, then made his way up to the third floor of your home, where he stole the camcorder out of the gym bag, but not the drugs inside the same bag, and made it out of the house and out of the neighborhood, leaving not a single fingerprint behind, and without a soul seeing him, including the pavers working next door? How do you explain that away?"

"I don't have to. I'm not working the case. That's your job."

Kelly grinned. "No, you don't have to explain it. It would just be helpful if you did. So let's move on. Did you get a call from your daughters' school, asking where you or Mrs. Mohler were? After all, it was 4 in the afternoon. Mrs. Mohler should have picked them up a half-hour before. No call?"

"No."

"That is very odd, sir. Very odd. You know, we can do so much with technology now that we couldn't do, even ten years ago. So many advancements have been made in forensics. Those hairs? DNA sampling is better now. They weren't yours, we knew. They also didn't belong to Corey John Lewis. So now, there isn't even that tiny thread putting him at the house. Nothing linking him to the crime, except a pawned camcorder."

"He's a stupid meth head! He killed my wife!" Mohler was clearly agitated.

"No, Mr. Mohler. Corey John Lewis did not kill Amanda Mohler. You did."

"What was my motive, then?"

"Discovery, Mr. Mohler. I told you technology has advanced. Yes, you had gay-oriented pornography on your computer. Trouble was, the participants were underage. It's kiddie porn, and your wife knew it. With that kind of information, she could have you thrown in jail for a very long time, or at least could have seen to the ruin of your reputation."

"You're bluffing."

"Nah. Oh, and we talked to Lisa Sandy. She was very specific about the time she saw your wife at the mailbox. For your alibi to have worked, Mrs. Mohler would have had to have been dead for some time by then. She wasn't. Mrs. Sandy said she knew the time because she asked Mrs. Mohler if she had watched that day's episode of "Days of Our Lives." She said she had. "Days of our Lives" comes on at 1:30 p.m. and goes off at 2:30 p.m. You said you came home about 4:15 p.m. and you thought your wife had been dead about three hours at that time. Because her body had been semi-nude in a well air-conditioned home, the medical examiner couldn't get too specific about a time of death."

"What's that got to do with anything?" he snapped.

"Well, your wife was alive at 2:30 p.m. Or shortly thereafter. And the pavers who were working the driveway next door saw your Mercedes in your driveway before 3 p.m. And you called 911 at 4:20."

"How could they see anything? Why would they notice?"

Kelly chuckled. "People tend to remember things when they find out a murder was committed under their noses. Also, we know Lewis was driving a little pickup at that time, and not one of the pavers, or Mrs. Sandy, recall seeing such a vehicle. They saw Mrs. Mohler's Lexus SUV leave when she went to the grocery store about 10 a.m., returning about 11 a.m., and your Mercedes. That's it."

"Maybe he walked in and out."

"You're funny. You live in an exclusive neighborhood. Don't you think someone would have seen Mr. Lewis walking down the street in blood-soaked clothing? And he would have had blood all over himself."

"So why didn't I have blood all over me?" Mohler thought he had the upper hand.

"Because, remember, you had over an hour to clean up and to dispose of your bloody clothing. You had a long time to take care of all that inconvenient evidence. I have to wonder about Mrs. Mohler's wedding ring, though."

"What about it?"

"When asked about what was taken, you said the camcorder, your wife's purse and a pair of diamond earrings that were upstairs in her jewelry box. Now, aside from the fact that your wife was wearing over $20,000 in jewelry on her body when she died, which was not disturbed, you didn't report her wedding ring was missing."

"I didn't notice. I was upset."

"But you noticed the diamond earrings she _wasn't_ wearing. And why would someone bent on robbery leave that heavy gold chain on her neck, leave her Rolex watch, leave her diamond tennis bracelet? It just doesn't add up. Why go to the trouble of taking diamond earrings – and nothing else – from upstairs, but ignore the bling on the body, just there for the asking?"

"He's a meth head! Who knows what one of those people might do?" Mohler yelled.

"Taking meth makes people psychotic, not stupid, Mr. Mohler. Even a drug-crazed robber would have taken what was easy to get. Your wife's wedding ring, in fact, was clutched in her right hand when she died. She was getting ready to throw it at you, wasn't she? What did she say to you that made you snap?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then let me enlighten you. Your wife found the kiddie porn on the computer and called you at your office, telling you to get your tail home, that you two had a LOT to talk about. You got home, you argued, and you punched her in the nose while you were both on the ground floor. She walks upstairs, nose streaming blood, stops on the fifth stair, turns and says _something_ to you. Whatever it was, it was a game-changer. You looked around for the nearest weapon, and spied the fireplace poker. You started up the stairs after her. She starts running for her life and you catch her on the landing, drag her into your bedroom, and beat her savagely, then stab and sexually assault her with the poker. How am I doing so far?"

Mohler's face had gone ashen white, but he said, "You're the one with the fairytale. You know how it ends, not me."

In the electronics room, the crew was hardly able to breathe. Even Will Pope and Commander Taylor were watching. In the interview room, Brenda smelled the sweet fragrance of blood in the water. She might have cut to the chase sooner, herself, but Kelly was leading him down the path, and was making him want to walk down it.

"So, you've beaten her in the bed the two of you had shared. She's bleeding out, from numerous stab wounds, to say nothing of the blood coming from her vagina where you assaulted her. You drag her back on to the landing. With the last bit of strength she has, she takes off that ring, slick with her own blood, to throw it at you. She clenches her right hand around it, literally in a death grip, and her time runs out. She dies, but her hand stays clenched. It doesn't relax. And you don't notice. You've got a murder scene to clean up. You don't notice her hand. You don't replace the ring, and you don't report it missing because you didn't see it was gone. Wouldn't a grieving husband notice immediately that the ring he lovingly placed on his beautiful wife's hand wasn't there?"

"You're just speculating," Mohler said, but he was visibly sweating.

"So what was that final straw, Donald?" Kelly dropped her voice. "What did she say? Did she tell you she was leaving you, and taking your little girls with her? Did she say she was getting that divorce, and you'd better be generous, or she would tell the world, including your moneyed, prominent clients, that you're nothing but a sad little man who has to watch boys doing it to each other to get off? That the only way you can get it up is to watch underage kids?"

"Shut up!" he screamed.

Kelly whispered, "And did she tell you that, if you wanted to watch teens, that she wondered if you liked them even younger, and if you liked little girls too, and if you had been diddling your own daughters, going into their bedrooms at night and..."

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH! SHUT THE HELL UP! I DIDN'T TOUCH MY LITTLE GIRLS!" Mohler exploded.

Kelly didn't even flinch, even though Brenda nearly jumped out of her skin. Gabriel was nearly out the door, when Provenza caught his arm. "Wait a second," he said.

"But you did watch underage boys having sex," Kelly continued. "And it would be disastrous if anyone found out. You couldn't afford that, now could you?" she said, willing him to open the door, willing him to say it. "So she had to die, didn't she? You couldn't take the risk that she would tell your dirty, illegal little secret, now could you? Selfish bitch, wasn't she? You did all the work as an attorney, and she never had to lift a finger, and she couldn't even let you have one little idiosyncracy to yourself. She had everything, but was never satisfied. She couldn't just go on her merry way and allow you to watch those boys, now could she? Who were you hurting? You two weren't having sex, anyway. She had two children. What more could she want? How selfish. How grasping, greedy." Kelly's eyes were intense. She knew she had that fish on the line, and he was nearly in the boat. "How dare she threaten you, when you had given her everything?"

"I did! I gave her everything!" Mohler finally, totally lost it. "She was just a stupid little secretary in my office until I married her! I gave her social status and everything that goes with it! Do you think she could have even gotten through the gates at the country club if she hadn't been my wife? My girls go to the best schools, but all that didn't matter! I put her where she was and I had the right to take it all away! She deserved to die! She wasn't so beautiful after I hit her with that poker! And that body she was so proud of didn't look too good after I got through with it! Even her boobs belonged to me! I _paid_ for them! She was a money slut!" He was raving, and Kelly was sitting back, with a pleased look on her face.

"Did it feel good to kill her, Donald?" she asked.

"Yes, it felt good! It felt so good, I jacked off in the bathroom before I cleaned everything up!" Suddenly, realization. He collapsed in a silent, staring heap into the chair.

Kelly grinned evilly at him. "Thank you, Donald. Chief, I think that about covers it."

"Indeed it does. An officer will be in here, momentarily."

They walked out, and as soon as the door clicked shut, started laughing wildly, and even doing a dance right there.

"Detective, that was beautiful!" Brenda said.

"Thanks, but you know what I did? I got a list of questions together that everyone on the team wanted to ask him, and we debated over the answers in the murder room. So, it was such a team effort, in every way."

"Well, it worked. Finally, we got justice for Amanda Mohler and Corey John Lewis."

They went into the electronics room, where Pope and Taylor congratulated them both. Andy elbowed Kelly with a grin.

"Detective, are Southern women just born with the ability to screw around with a man's head?" That was Provenza.

Brenda and Kelly both laughed at that one. "Yep, Provenza, we are," Kelly answered. "It's in the DNA."

"It has to be," he replied.

"Really, I just wanted that one SO BAD!" Kelly said. "I saw those crime scene photos, and I wanted his head on a platter. I'd about have done a striptease in there to get a confession." She caught the look on Andy's face at that and shot him a glare.

"I know it, Detective," Brenda agreed. "There have been times when I'd have thought about it if it meant I got that confession." She looked around at the expressions on the faces in the room. "You people have gutter minds!" she exclaimed and walked out.

The laughter followed her out and Kelly said, "You really do," she chuckled and left as well. She started back for the murder room, when she remembered something she needed to do.

"Hey Andy," Kelly said, catching him coming out of the electronics room. She motioned for him to follow her down the hall. He looked puzzled but did so.

"What's up?" he asked.

Kelly paused in a quiet corner. "I'm so sorry about the chicken last night. I had no clue you're a vegetarian. I wish you had _said_ something!"

He smiled. "It's O.K. A few bites of chicken won't kill me. Besides, you'd worked so hard on it, I couldn't hurt your feelings by telling you. That's getting into ungrateful creep territory. It would have totally ruined the evening for you, and I couldn't do that."

"You're so sweet, Andy. I'm still sorry, though."

"Do _not_ worry about it. That's an order, Detective." He grinned. "And please don't tell anyone I'm sweet. You'll blow my rep to hell and back."

"Can't have that, now can we?" Kelly said.

"No way." He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Just our secret." He winked at her and it took all Kelly could do not to rip his clothes off, right there. A man just didn't have any business being that good-looking! She returned the wink.

"Babe, that was some awesome work in that interview room," he said, hugging her again.

"Thanks, sugar. I really do appreciate it. I need to talk to the chief," she said, walking away.

Andy watched her go. Actually, if eating a 2-inch thick steak blood rare was what it took to keep her around, he would seriously consider it and principles be damned.


	6. Chapter 6: Hurts So Good

**A/N:** More today! Thank you again for the R&R. Hope you all are enjoying the ride!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 6: Hurts So Good**

The Major Crimes crew was in the murder room when Brenda came in, loaded down with paperwork, as usual.

"Hey ya'll," she said, "Fritz wants to go to dinner tonight. Can we have our happy hour for this case on Friday night?"

"Sure," Provenza said. "Fine with me. I need to get some early shut-eye tonight anyway." The rest of the squad concurred. Brenda grinned and turned to go to her office and promptly dropped her folders.

Gabriel helped her pick it all up and Kelly said, "Chief, have you ever considered hiring a Sherpa to schlep all that stuff for you?"

"A Sherpa? Didn't occur to me. Suppose the department would pay for it?" Brenda said.

"If not, a little red wagon might come in handy," Kelly teased.

"_That_ I've thought of. And I may do it yet."

Gabriel helped Brenda carry her folders into her office. "Lap dog," Andy snorted.

"Be nice, Andrew," Kelly said. "He puts up with a lot."

"We _all_ put up with a lot," Provenza remarked.

Kelly chuckled. "Suppose the chief would be offended if we gave her a little red wagon? Filled with sweet stuff?"

"That's not a half-bad idea, Detective," Provenza replied. "Not at all. What would you put in it?"

"Anything chocolate," Kelly answered. "And I'd go online and get a box of Moon Pies and Goo-Goo Clusters for it. Can't get those here."

"Goo-Goo Clusters?" That was Sanchez.

"It's candy," Kelly explained. "Peanuts or pecans with caramel and marshmallow covered in chocolate. Tasty little things."

"That would send her into sugar overload," Andy said.

"Which would be just fine with her," Mike Tao observed.

* * *

Friday evening found Kelly staring in her bathroom mirror, trying to decide which shade of red lipstick was the best match for her burgundy burnout velvet top. She finally found one she liked and applied it. Yeah, that was the right color. She wanted Andy to notice her, without being obvious about it. Next, cologne. She used a fragrance that had received compliments before. It was a light, green, floral, with a touch of citrus. She didn't like heavy perfume. Well, she had done all she could. She would have to trust hormones for the rest of it.

O'Malley's was lively already and the music was loud. Andy was, as always, drinking seltzer water and Provenza was trying to get the waitress to dance with him, but she kept refusing.

As Kelly greeted the crew, Andy scooted over in the round booth so she could sit next to him. She smiled at him and he looked carefully at her.

"That lipstick is killer," he said.

"Thanks," she answered with a grin.

Brenda came to her side of the booth. "That is your color," she said. "And where in the world did you get that lipstick?"

"Drugstore. You like it?"

"Looks great. Fritz would have a fit if I wore it."

"All the more reason to buy some. Shake him up a little."

Brenda snickered. "Yeah, he could use it, although I'm afraid living with me is all the shaking he needs." Both laughed at that and Brenda leaned over to Kelly's ear. "Andy's lookin' good tonight," she said.

"When does he not look good?" Kelly answered.

"Oh, I know it. Almost every female in the LAPD building has chased him at one time or another."

"No surprise there." She and Brenda looked over at Provenza. Once again, he had asked the waitress to dance, and once again, had been rejected.

"C'mon, Provenza. I'll dance with you," Kelly said. She gave Andy a surreptitious wink and he grinned.

Kelly danced with the lieutenant until he declared himself worn out. Brenda and the group laughed as he collapsed into his seat.

"Well, he may be tired, but I'm not. Andy, care to dance?"

"Sure. Why not?" he answered and followed her to the dance floor. Right then, the DJ decided to play "Hurts So Good" by John Cougar, and Kelly laughed.

"I can _really_ dance to this song," she said, and started a sexy bump and grind with a come-hither expression that made Andy's mouth go dry.

As he danced with her, Provenza nudged Sanchez, who nudged Gabriel, who nudged Brenda, who looked completely innocent. "What is it, David? You never saw two people dancing before?"

"When they dance like that, it makes me wonder if they're dancing or something else."

Brenda grinned. "All I see are two people enjoying themselves."

"They're enjoying themselves all right," Provenza quipped. "Wish I could enjoy myself like that." That earned him a glare from Brenda.

The song ended and the music slowed. "Heaven" by Bryan Adams started playing. Almost without thinking, Andy's arms came around Kelly and they swayed in time to the music.

"What is that perfume you're wearing?" he asked.

"You like it?"

"It's great. Smells clean. I hate heavy cologne."

"Me too.

Andy wasn't thinking about his co-workers seeing him with Kelly. He didn't care. When she was in his arms, it was difficult for him to think, anyway. And when Kelly raised that sweet face to him, what was he supposed to do but kiss her? What else made sense?

Kelly had danced with guys before, of course, but only one or two had the same innate sense of rhythm that Andy had. And none of them felt as good. Her head fit perfectly in the pocket of his shoulder, or right against his chest so she could hear his heart beat. And when he kissed her there on the dance floor, she didn't care if anyone saw them, either. It just didn't matter. As the song ended and they started back to the table, Andy kept his arm around her shoulders. The guys were going to find out sooner or later, and the chief already knew.

He sat down next to Provenza, with Kelly on his opposite side. Provenza nudged him and gave him the "Why didn't you tell me?" look. Andy just grinned at him.

* * *

As they stood on Kelly's porch, Andy touched her face. "Good night, babe," he said.

"Good night, sugar."

He shook his head. "I am telling you, Kelly. You're gonna 'sugar' me one too many times and that's gonna be it."

"Is that so? And just what do you mean by that, Lieutenant Andrew Flynn?"

He grinned wolfishly. "You know what I mean. One day, you're gonna force me to take you inside, and keep you in bed all night long."

"People generally do sleep all night in bed," Kelly teased.

"You ain't gonna be sleeping, you wildcat."

"I'll take your word for it." She knew she was pushing him a little, but it was too much fun not to push.

He shook his head slowly. "I swear. I don't know whether to kiss you or spank your bottom."

"Didn't know you were into _that _kind of stuff, Andy," Kelly answered with a grin.

"You could make me like it."

"That's an interesting thought. Too bad your handcuffs aren't fur-lined."

And _that_ thought was very nearly the undoing of Andrew Flynn. Kelly had already unlocked the door, and Andy opened it and steered Kelly inside.

"I didn't invite you in," she said.

"Tough. I'm here."

"Now you're being obnoxious."

"If that's the worst you can say about me, you're doing good, Kelly. I can't tell you how much worse I've been called." His tone was irritated.

"Andy, what is the matter with you?"

He backed her up against the wall. "I'm lonely, I'm horny and the only woman who can take care of it is acting like a coy little virgin. I know you're not a virgin, and the coy part is driving me frickin' nuts. I want you, Kelly. I know once I get you naked, there won't be anything coy about you. And that's where I want you: in bed, naked, raking your fingernails down my back and screaming my name because that's all you can say."

Heat flashed through every vein in Kelly's body. Why was she waiting? Why did she want to wait? Andy Flynn wanted her just as she stood there. He had told her in no uncertain terms he wanted her. Those dark eyes of his were boring into her soul.

"Stop fighting it, Kelly," he said. "Why can't you just be honest with yourself and admit you want me?"

"I never said I didn't. I just want this in the right way."

"We get along just fine outside the bedroom. You've only been here six weeks. You've got another four and a half months in LA. Plenty of time for us to decide what we want. But I'm telling you this right now, Kelly Hargrove. I cannot go another six weeks looking at you and not having you. I can't do it."

Kelly looked bemused. "I can't understand how you could want _me_ so much."

Andy shook his head in frustration. "Don't try to analyze it, you crazy woman. Just accept it. Accept that I cannot look at you without wanting to take you on the floor, for God's sake! Admit that, to this man, anyway, you're a sexy, gorgeous, hot woman. Admit to yourself that you want me any way you can have me. And baby, I'm here to tell you: there's a lot of ways to do that." Here, his voice dropped and he brought his face within millimeters of hers.

"What do you want, darlin'? What have you always wanted a man to do for you? What do you like?" he whispered against her skin. "What do you need? What makes you hot? I can make every fantasy you've got come true. Let me love you. No man has ever touched you like I can, or make you feel what I will."

Kelly was mesmerized. "Pretty high opinion of yourself," she quavered.

"Some guys can make an engine purr. Me? I can make a woman purr. Let me show you, Kelly, baby." He inched his hands beneath her blouse and barely touching her lips with his, whispered, "Melt for me – sugar."

Her head fell back and she arched her neck in that age-old gesture of submission. Andy could suddenly sympathize with vampires, that neck was so tempting with its creamy magnolia skin. He settled for kissing her in the hollow of her throat, and licking up the length of her neck to her mouth, where he did not kiss her, but took her lower lip in his mouth, instead, tracing its outline with his tongue before he did the same for her upper lip.

"Andy..." her voice trailed off.

"We'll get to what you want," he rasped against her ear. "Right now, I'm taking care of what you _need_."

What she needed. Kelly had no doubt in her mind that Andy Flynn could meet any physical need she had, or ever thought she'd have. She knew she could tell him to stop, and he would, but why should she stop him? Not like she was being unfaithful to anyone in Alabama. She was a grown woman and could decide for herself. And she decided to let herself go for Andy, to give and take and to show him exactly what a Southern wildcat she could be.

Andy sensed the subtle change in Kelly. She was now pressing herself to him. Touching him. Bringing him closer. Obviously, this was what she wanted _and_ needed. Now, they could really burn up the night.

Kelly woke up in the night. She looked over at Andy. He was sound asleep. She smiled and got out of bed and started for the bathroom. She winced as she walked. She was sore. It had been a long, long time. She closed the bathroom door softly and turned on the light. She rinsed her mouth and splashed water on her face. She looked in the mirror and laughed silently at her reflection. Her fine, thin hair was a total rat's nest. Her lips were red and swollen. On the side of her neck – was that a _hickey_? She looked closer. Yep. That's exactly what it was. Good thing it was the weekend and she didn't have to try to hide it from the guys. She glanced to her shoulders. She had bruises on her upper arms. The prints of Andy's fingers clearly showed on her white skin. Wow. She stretched her back. It was sore. She turned on the faucet again and with warm water, bathed herself with a washcloth. That did ease the soreness a little. She stretched her arms across her front and winced again. Even her breasts were tender. Wow again. Kelly sat on the edge of the tub. "Oh, what a night!" she sang the first bar of that song very softly and laughed again.

Well, he made good on his promise, didn't he? She smiled at the thought. Everything she needed – and then some. And it _was_ better than anything had ever been. She cast back into the wild night and shook her head. The afterglow had been so sweet. Andy had cradled her body against his and then he had rubbed her back and cuddled her to sleep against his chest. "And I have loved you in a tame way. And I have loved you wild." The snippet from "Seven Bridges Road" came into her head and she sang it. She took her hairbrush and tidied her hair a little, then reached into the linen closet, and pulled out a cotton tank and sleep shorts. She didn't know if she would finish the night with them on, but she would make the effort.

As silently as she could, Kelly left the bathroom and slipped back into bed with Andy.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice you left?" came his voice in the darkness

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up. You were out."

"No problem. Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Sore, but OK."

"Sore?" His voice radiated concern.

"It's been a while, Andy. Long while. I'm fine, though."

He reached to stroke her face. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I know it. Like I said. It's just been a long time."

"For me, too. Since it meant something, anyway." He gathered Kelly into his arms. "Tonight, it meant something."

"I'm glad," she murmured as they slept.

Andy woke with the sun streaming into the room and rubbed his eyes. He turned to Kelly. Still asleep. And in the morning light, with her wearing that tank top, he could see the evidence of the night before and was horrified at himself. No wonder she was sore. He looked at his hands. He was a brute, is what he was. But she hadn't told him it hurt. He would have stopped, as God was his witness, he would have. Was he too wrapped up in himself to notice? No, he didn't remember that she ever said he was hurting her. But there was the evidence. And if her arms were bruised, what must the rest of her feel like?

Kelly stirred and rolled over. Seeing Andy's stricken face woke her up completely. "Sugar, what is it?" she said.

"You're bruised. I did that," he said, in a barely audible voice. "Oh God, Kelly. I'm so sorry."

Kelly sat up and took Andy's hands. "No, baby. I'm O.K. It's this uber fair skin of mine that makes any bruise look awful. It's all right. Really."

He shook his head. "I feel like some kind of woman-beater."

Kelly took his face and kissed him softly. "Darlin', I'm fine. Better than fine. Don't worry about it. Why don't you just hold me for a while and we can talk about what we want to do today?" She slid down in the bed and held out her arms to Andy. He cuddled her gratefully.

"By the way," Kelly said. "Good morning."

Andy held her closer. "Good morning, babe. I'm glad it turned out that way."

"Me too. But I didn't really expect anything else. _I_ had a wonderful night."

"So did I," Andy replied, nuzzling her hair.

"Think you can make it through the next six weeks, now?"

"Maybe. I just got a little incentive to struggle through."

Kelly laughed. "You're so noble. The things you do, just to get by."

"Yeah, I'm such a trouper. And I think I could use another hour or so of sleep. How about you?"

"Definitely." She kissed him. "We can plan the day later."

Andy held her closer and both drifted back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Daydream Believer

**A/N:** Just a little fluffy stuff to move things along a bit. Hope you enjoy it! And thanks again for all the reviews. Please continue! They do help!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

Kelly woke up and Andy was gone. She turned over and sniffed the air. Coffee. Well, bless his little heart. She padded into the kitchen. He had the coffeepot on and stood shirtless, in faded jeans and bare feet, prowling through her cabinets. Holy smoke. Kelly just looked at him for the longest time, wondering how in the world she got lucky enough to get Mr. November from the LAPD charity calendar in her kitchen. Brenda had showed her the calendar in the privacy of her office, and they giggled together at seeing Sgt. Gabriel, who was Mr. March, and Andy.

"They were both so embarrassed," Brenda chuckled. "But they were nominated by the females in the department. I think that made it worse."

"I'm sure it did," Kelly laughed. "It's a nice calendar, though. The photos are really good, and honestly, they're not demeaning or anything. It's not like they posed in skimpy Speedos or something."

"They got some photographer for the stars to do it," Brenda said, "And it does go for a good cause. The proceeds are split between the officers' family fund and a domestic violence shelter."

"Who picked the final shots?" Kelly asked.

"Well, and don't you ever tell them this, because it would embarrass them to death, but I _was_ on the panel," Brenda answered with a sly grin.

"Get out! No way. Oh, that's too funny. No, I'll never tell. David would hide in a hole and never come out again."

David's picture showed him sitting in his desk chair, in jeans, with a gray LAPD muscle shirt, staring holes through the camera lens.

"Better than Denzel," Kelly said.

Andy was also seated for his shot, but was leaned back in an office chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, hands behind his head, looking sidelong at the camera. He wore a skintight black T-shirt and jeans.

"Oh, my Lord," Kelly breathed when she saw it. "That ain't legal."

"That's exactly what I thought when I saw that proof. My mouth dropped open. You know, after this was printed, they both actually got a couple of calls from some agents who wanted to know if they wanted to do some catalog work for men's clothing."

"Camera likes them, that's for sure."

"Yes indeedy," Brenda said.

And there he was, standing there, having recently walked out of her bedroom. Once in a great while, romance novels actually happened in real life.

He heard her and peered around the cabinet door. "Do you have any actual food in this house?" he said.

She grinned. "You're looking in the wrong place." She led him to a door. "I have a pantry." She opened the door and showed him the shelves of groceries.

"Never occurred to me to look there," he said.

"Some detective you are," she teased.

He caught her in a long kiss. "You've got a smart mouth, you know that?"

"Always have. Thanks for making coffee this morning."

"You're welcome. Can't start the day without it."

"Oh, I totally agree. As far as breakfast goes, I have eggs, frozen waffles, oatmeal, cereal… take your pick."

He considered. "How about I just go get some doughnuts?"

Kelly grinned. "Sounds wonderful. I like plain glazed, chocolate glazed, fruit filled or custard filled. Nothing with k-r-e-m-e inside. That stuff is nasty. Brenda might eat it, but I draw the line at that substance."

"What do they make that crap out of, anyway?"

"Sugar and egg whites, I think. Horrible." She kissed him again. "I could do that for a while, but you'd better go find us some breakfast."

"Much as I'd rather stay, I will," he said, slipping into his shirt.

"You're a sweetie."

* * *

After breakfast, they lounged on the sofa and Andy said, "What is it with you Southerners and calling people 'sugar', anyway?"

Kelly said, "Well, I mean, it's along the lines of calling someone 'honey' or 'sweetie.' But it also has another meaning. It means a kiss. If you say, 'give me some sugar,' you're saying, 'give me a kiss.' Moms use it for their kids a lot. When you say, 'Give your grandma a kiss,' they're apt to wrinkle their noses. But if you say, "Run give grandma some sugar,' they'll often do it. It's weird, but it works."

"Never heard it used for a kiss, but it's cute," Andy replied.

"That's an old usage, and very regional. But 'sugar' is just one of those endearments that comes very naturally to Southerners."

"So what's a polecat?"

"A skunk. Who did Brenda use that in reference to?"

"A perp once, and Provenza a couple of times."

Kelly giggled. "Yeah, it's expressive."

"And what's with 'fixin' to'?"

She laughed outright. "It just means 'about to,' but is kind of an intensifier. If I say, 'I am fixin' to take care of that polecat!' it's an emphatic way to say it. It usually signifies the speaker means business." Kelly turned to look into Andy's bottomless brown eyes. They were twinkling with amusement.

"So what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"Not a clue. You have any thoughts?"

"Well, I was thinking. Have you been to Venice Beach yet?"

"No, but I've wanted to go," she answered.

"It's like nowhere else on earth. Let's drive out there."

"Sounds like a plan."

Andy was right. Venice Beach was absolutely like nowhere else on earth. The people-watching was unparalleled. When they finally tired of walking up and down the beach road and boardwalk, they spread a blanket down and sat on the sand.

"I love the beach," Kelly said. "I've missed it."

"Where do you go to the beach in _Alabama_?" Andy asked.

"Gulf Shores. The barrier islands are on the Gulf of Mexico. You're only about 30 miles from Pensacola, maybe 70 from Panama City Beach."

"Seriously? I guess I never thought about it. Never heard of any surfers from there."

Kelly chuckled. "You wouldn't. You can't surf there. The waves aren't high enough. Well, except when a hurricane is coming in. Then, they are. But the sand isn't beige like it is here. It's pure white. We call it 'sugar sand.'" Remembering their earlier conversation about sugar, she grinned widely at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Sugar sand. I should have known. So what do you do if you don't surf?"

"What people are doing here. Lying in the sand. If you get out in the water with something, it's usually a boogie board, or a float or something. This time of year, the water's really warm. About 80 degrees. And when the sun goes down, you walk in the foam on the beach, and then you go and stuff yourself with homemade gumbo and seafood. Do you eat seafood?" she asked.

"Yeah. So what exactly is gumbo? I mean, I've seen it on the food channel, but what is it?"

"It's a sort of seafood stew," Kelly explained. "You start with a dark roux, add celery, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, okra and let that cook down. You know, shellfish doesn't take any time to cook, so you add that at the end. It started out as a food for rural people, using what they had on hand that day. So gumbo is different in every restaurant, and in every home. There's no one right way to make it."

"Wow. What's a roux, anyway?"

"Fiddly. You take equal parts of oil and flour and brown them, preferably in a cast-iron skillet or dutch oven, stirring the whole time. When the roux is the color of chocolate syrup, you take it off the heat and add the vegetables. You have to stir it constantly, like a risotto, or it will burn. And when a roux burns, it stinks up the whole house and you have to throw it out and open the windows to get the smell out."

"I actually have a cast-iron dutch oven. Would you make some for me? It sounds wonderful."

Kelly smiled. "If you'll help stir the roux."

"It's a deal."

They lounged on the sand for a while when Kelly asked Andy. "So, what made you want to be a cop?"

He thought about it. "Well, in my neighborhood in Jersey, it was either that or be a criminal. So, I'm a cop. But once I got into it, I realized I had a knack for it, and could help people. So I stayed. What about you?"

"I've got a big streak of Crusader Rabbit in me. I want to help people, too – mostly those who don't have anybody else who will stand up and fight for them. So I will. I worked the domestic violence unit a lot and nothing pleased me more than first, helping a woman – or man – take charge of their lives and get out of a bad situation, and second, personally cuffing some big oaf who thought it was fun to slap his wife around. It just tore them up when I – a _woman_ - was the one to jerk their tails up and stuff them in the back of a cruiser. It's bad enough when another man tells them what to do, but when a woman starts giving them orders, it just freaks their little gourds."

Andy grinned. "You're just mean," he said.

"You just now figuring that out? I just get real ugly when people mess with the helpless. And don't get me started on pervs who prey on kids, old people and animals. Makes my blood boil."

"Mine too. Makes me wish some of those techniques from the Middle Ages weren't considered 'cruel and unusual' punishment."

"Oh, I know it. Or the Spanish Inquisition. Now _those_ people were creative! Twisted, but creative."

"I like the way you think, darlin'," Andy said.

"Thanks."

As they drove back to Kelly's place, she asked. "So how many brothers and sisters do you have?"

He chuckled. "Seven. Four boys and three girls, which including me, makes five boys. I'm Irish-Catholic on my dad's side and Italian-Catholic on my mom's side. That's gonna be a big family, regardless."

"Tell me about it. Well, at least you've got a lot of people praying for you," Kelly said.

"That's true, and I know it's helped. When my Grandma Flynn said she was praying for you, things always seemed to happen."

"In our line of work, we need all the divine intervention we can get."

"I know that's right," he answered.

"Do you still go to church?" For Kelly, this was an important question.

"Sometimes. Not as often as I should, I know."

A thought struck Kelly and she laughed.

"What is it? What's so funny?"

She laughed harder. "I was just thinking how interesting it would be to be a fly on the wall when you go to confession."

"Only you would think of something like that. What're you looking for — incriminating evidence?" he answered.

"Oh, I wouldn't have to look too far, I don't think. I expect there's plenty of it. You'd probably have to call the priest and schedule an entire afternoon to cover everything."

"Shut up," Andy said, which only made Kelly laugh harder.

"What was it like growing up in such a big family? I only have a sister," Kelly asked.

"Busy. And noisy," he replied. "Always seemed like there was a fight going on somewhere. I'm right in the middle: four older and three younger. Actually, I think that's where I learned to be a cop. I was always mediating somebody's argument, and enforcing the house rules."

"Tattle-tale, were you?" Kelly said.

He laughed. "That's the only way to survive as a middle child in a family that size. You tattle or die in the riot. Either that, or you learn to be the best negotiator in the world. I'm pretty good at it. You know, 'If you give me your snack today, I won't tell Mom you broke her vase.'"

"That's not negotiation. That's blackmail," Kelly said.

"Ehh—what's in a name, anyway? You call it blackmail, I call it negotiation for a good deal," he answered with a smirk.

"Remind me to take you with me the next time I'm buying a car," she said.

"Oh, you definitely want me there. Even my ex-wives want me to come with them when they're buying cars."

"I can imagine. You do have the intimidation factor going for you." Kelly had a mental picture of your average car salesman looking up at Andy's 6'1 frame and cold eyes. Yeah, that would be enough to make you willing to negotiate. The subject of his ex-wives made her think. "So, you're on decent terms with your exes?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, we've managed to come to a point where the firearms are put away."

"Good to know. What about your kids?"

"I wish it were better. Now my son, Ben, and I, we get along. He's a really put-together kid and totally understands what happened between me and his mom. He's 19 and in his first year at Cal-Tech. My daughter, Bridget, is 16 and right now, is the worst of her mom and me put together. Smart mouth from hell. I know she's a teenager, but God, she defines the tribe. Moody, snotty … you name it. I love her, but I sure hope her personality improves."

Kelly laughed. "I'm sure it will. That was my sister, and she's pretty much OK now."

"You weren't moody and smart-mouthed?" Andy's tone was dubious.

Kelly stuck her tongue out at him. "Cute. I was a little moody, yeah, but I had better sense than to mouth off to my mom and dad. I knew what would happen. I just whined about them to my friends."

They had arrived at Kelly's place. Andy walked with her to the porch and said, "I've got to go home for a little while, shower, change clothes. I'll call you, though and we can get some dinner."

"Love to," she said. Andy kissed her and made her quiver to her toes. As she went inside, she wondered yet again how her luck had managed to change so dramatically in six weeks. She sighed. "Daydreams happen sometimes," she said to herself.


	8. Chapter 8: Have Mercy

**A/N:** Thanks once again for the reviews. They keep me inspired! This chapter and possibly the next one or two need a warning: the content turns very dark in this one, and may stay that way for a chapter or two. I don't write gore, but the subject matter is definitely disturbing and even though keeps to a "T" rating, still may not be suitable for sensitive readers. Please be warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 8: Have Mercy**

Kelly was taking a rare Sunday afternoon nap, and enjoying it, when her phone rang. She didn't look at the ID, but mumbled "hello."

"Hi babe. Did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

Yeah, that voice could wake up the dead, truth be known. "It's OK, sugar. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd let me return the favor for dinner and would let me cook for you tonight. How about it?"

"Sounds great. What time?"

"Seven sound good?"

"Fine with me. I'm getting back to my nap, now, though."

"Go ahead," Andy purred. "Sweet dreams."

As Kelly hung up the phone, she thought, "they will be now."

About four, the phone rang again. "Hey," Andy said. "I know I'm wimping out on the cooking thing, but do you like Indian food?"

"Love it," Kelly answered.

"Great. There's a little take-out around the corner from my place. Mind if I do that?

She laughed. "Of course not. I'm all for anyone who feeds me Indian food! Just make sure you get some naan."

"Absolutely."

The thought of Indian food set Kelly's mouth watering, anyway, so if Andy decided not to cook, substituting that particular cuisine was fine with her.

* * *

Andy called, "Come on in," to Kelly's knock, and as she opened the door, the scent of curry hit her. At least one section of Heaven had to smell like this, she thought. Andy had actually put the food into bowls, rather than leaving it in the boxes. Kelly was impressed and told him so.

"Well, it's not very complimentary to the lady to have her eat from a cardboard box," he said with that roguish grin that always made Kelly's heart go "Thump!"

"I'm so full I can't move," she said after the meal. "That was great. Thank you, dear."

"Ahh, you're welcome. You want to watch a movie or something?"

"Sure." They went into the den and Kelly looked around at the place. The walls were cream, the furniture brown – typical male decor. There were a couple of prints on the walls, but other than that, the interior was fairly spartan. A curio shelf did have some photos and Kelly looked them over. Most of them were of Andy's children, but one caught her eye. It was a photo of a spectacular blonde woman with Andy's daughter. Kelly hoped against hope that was his sister.

"Oh, that's the Barrcuda," Andy said. "I keep it because it's such a good shot of Bridget."

"The Barracuda?" Kelly questioned.

"My second wife."

"So Bridget isn't her daughter?"

"Oh God, no," Andy answered. "I can't imagine _that_ woman procreating. I mean, 'Rosemary's Baby' stuff."

Kelly laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"Oh yeah. She thought she was going to soak me for alimony, but she makes more than I do," he chuckled.

"What does she do?"

"Well, she's an actress, but she actually does get work, mostly in commercials. She's had several steady contracts, so she makes about twice what I do."

"I know this is L.A.," Kelly said, "But how did you get hooked up with an actress?"

"I used to work in the Hollywood division, and it's kind of hard not to get caught up in all that, sometimes. We met at a bar."

"Would you smack me if I said I wasn't surprised?"

Andy laughed a little ruefully. "Nope. Actually, it was that relationship that got me into AA, so it did have one upside. But I think I had to stay drunk to live with her as long as I did. One reason I got sober so I could see if we had a chance, but she was even harder to take when I _wasn't_ drinking."

Kelly giggled. "Now, that's bad. What was her problem?"

"She had a love affair with her mirror. I was second place, all the time."

"Bless your heart," Kelly said. "Do you have any contact with her?"

"Not voluntarily. We've been divorced long enough now that she's pretty much moved on, and God knows, I have. And when we split, it's not even that she was so devastated at losing the relationship. It's that somebody had the gall to dump _her_! I mean, she's irresistible, after all. She's got men lined up to date her. How could _I_ be the one who left? That woman's ego... Unreal. I've questioned people like her in the box. Total narcissist."

"Sounds like fun," Kelly said dryly. "What about your first wife?"

He shook his head. "That was 90 percent me. I drank when we got married, but it got steadily worse, and she left. I can't blame her. But I really think if Sheila had pushed me to get sober, I might have. But she's never really wanted to deal with anything difficult."

"Andy, you know you have to get sober for yourself, not for anyone else. You know that's how it works."

"I know, and that's one of those issues I still work on. But I do think if she had presented me with an ultimatum, I might have done it sooner, for myself. But, you can't ever say for sure, can you?"

"No, and it's a quick road to insanity to play the 'what might have been' game."

He nodded. "Yeah, but you know? It's nice to have someone remind me once in a while."

"Anytime," Kelly answered with a wink.

Andy's phone rang. He checked the ID. "It's Sheila. Hi Sheila," he said as he picked up the phone. "Yeah, I'm good. How are you? Good. What's up? What's going on with Bridget, now?" A long pause. Andy rolled his eyes.

"Sheila, you know I'm going to back you up on your decisions, but yeah, I'll talk to her." Another pause. "Hi sweetheart. What's going on? No, I'm sorry. Why? You know that trying to get me to undermine your mom's decisions doesn't work. This decision is fair and you'll just have to abide by it."

He listened for a moment, then his eyes narrowed and he tapped a finger impatiently on the side table. "Bridget, don't try to get around me by getting all lovey on me. You only do that when you want something."

Kelly could hear his daughter's voice over the phone, upset. "Don't yell at me, kid," Andy said, his temper rising. "I'm still your dad. Keep on like that, and I'm telling your mom to suspend your privileges even longer. If you need help in school, we can get help for you. But you're not gonna hang out with your friends all the time and fail eleventh grade! No way. If I have to buy a _cage_ for you so you'll straighten up, I will!"

More yelling from the phone. Andy replied, "If you weren't capable of doing the work, that would be one thing. But you are capable. There's nothing wrong with your brain, so I don't think we're being unreasonable to expect you to get decent grades!"

Andy closed his eyes and clenched his hands. Kelly could see he was making a real effort to hang on to his temper. He took a deep breath. "O.K. Let me explain something to you. You are _not _in school to socialize. You are there to get an education, do you understand me? It's not the Beverly Hills Country Club. Of course, I want you to have a good time in high school, but flunking out is not an option! You say you want to go to college, well, here's a newsflash: colleges don't like 'F's' on report cards! No, I don't necessarily expect you to make all 'A's.' I do expect you to make an effort, though, and gee, stupid me, I believe your mom when she tells me you're texting and facebooking rather than doing your homework!"

More howling on the other end. Andy slammed his hand on the table. "That does it. That _really _does it! Your cell phone belongs to _me_, now! Don't start! I pay for it. And I'm having Mike Tao come over and put enough blocking software on your computer to keep you from looking at anything but school assignments! Do you hear me? Well, now, I don't know. I guess when you show that you're keeping your grades up. Don't even. We had this talk last semester. You did it to yourself. Let me talk to your mom."

"Sheila, I told Bridget that I was taking her cell phone. Yeah, I think it's a good idea, too. I'll call the service provider and put the numbers restrictions on it, so when she gets it back, she can call me, you, Ben and the school. I know. I hate to do it, too. But what can we do? She's old enough to abide by the rules. Yeah. But like I said, you know I'll back you up. Yeah, well, I hope the storm passes soon. Take care. Bye."

He hung up the phone and leaned his head back on the sofa. "God, I need a drink," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Will you take a Tylenol instead?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah. The whole bottle."

Kelly shook her head and brought Andy a couple of Tylenol and a glass of water. He took them gratefully.

"Thanks. I'm sorry you had to hear all that."

"Not a problem. I understand. I think every parent of a teen has had a similar conversation."

"Except your parents, you mean," he said.

Kelly shrugged. "Can I help it if I got the grades without hitting the books much? Well, except for Algebra. That was an unmitigated disaster. But I just have no talent for that kind of math."

"What did your parents do?"

Kelly grinned. "Took me to see my aunt, who is a math teacher. She tutored me and I passed—barely. Bridget's school system must be doing a year-round calendar."

"Yeah. They get out for six weeks on June first. So she's been back in school for four weeks and just flunked the hell out of her English midterms. She can still pass the quarter, but she's really gonna have to hit it hard," he said.

"And she'd rather socialize. Well, I can understand," Kelly said.

"I can too. I mean, I'm not so ancient that I don't remember high school, but I think we actually did some work!" Andy exclaimed. "I distinctly remember working in that class!"

"Yeah, we did too. I worked my tail off in junior and senior English. I enjoyed it, though. Is there any subject Bridget really likes?"

"Lunch," Andy said dryly.

Kelly chuckled. "Cynic," she said. "Does she want to do anything extra-curricular?"

"Yeah, Sheila said something about her wanting to try out for the dance team."

"Doesn't California have a 'C average' rule for that? You know, that students must have at least a 'C' average in every subject in order to do any kind of extra stuff?

"I don't know."

"Well, if they do, then she's got to bring her grades up to be eligible. Has anyone reminded her of that?"

"Search me. I guess Sheila has, if she knows about it," he answered.

"Tell her to look into it. If Bridget really wants to be on the dance team, and California has a 'C' average rule, that might be the way to keep her on the straight and narrow, where academics are concerned."

"Could be," Andy said, then an idea struck him. "Would _you_ be willing to tutor Bridget in English, since you got your degree in it?"

Kelly was taken aback. "_I'd_ be glad to do it. Question is, would _she_ be O.K. with it?"

"Why wouldn't she?" he asked.

"Well first, she might think you're forcing her to do something, which means all the tutoring in the world won't do a bit of good. Second, if she picks up that we're dating, it could be ugly. How has she reacted to other girlfriends?"

Andy grimaced at that. "I see your point."

Kelly thought for a moment. "How about this? Tell her you have a co-worker who is Chief Johnson's friend – which is true – who could tutor her. How do you think she'd react to that?"

"She might be O.K. with it, but you never know. She's pretty pissed at me."

"Sweeten the deal. Tell her you'll return her cell phone if she'll agree to the tutoring — and make an effort."

"That might work. I'll have to think about it," he answered.

"Yeah, do. I guess if this keeps up, I'll have to meet the kids eventually, anyway."

Andy smiled. "Eventually, but right now, it's pretty nice, just me and you."

"I agree," Kelly answered.

Andy pulled her close. "I don't guess you brought your pajamas and toothbrush, did you?"

Kelly shook her head. "Sorry, no, I didn't."

"You didn't think I might want you to stay?"

"I was thinking about dinner, maybe a movie, since we both have to work in the morning."

Andy sighed. "Practical, aren't you?"

"To a fault, I'm afraid." She glanced at her watch. "But there's no law that says we can't cuddle for a while. It's still early yet."

"I guess," he said, and kissed her. Kelly didn't know what it was about Andy's mouth, but he had the ability to set her on fire with just one kiss. There was no doubt they had chemistry. Oh, did they ever have it. And when he buried his face in her hair, trailing his mouth down her neck, whispering in her ear, Kelly wondered how she had lived this long without him. And those bottomless brown eyes, well, she could look into them all night. His arms were so strong, so safe, and a woman would be impossible to please, indeed, if she weren't fascinated with those broad shoulders, narrow hips and long, muscled legs. His body was powerful, male and the tailored suits he wore to work did nothing to disguise it. If anything, they just emphasized his masculinity –caged the animal, so to speak. Kelly doubted it ever occurred to Andy, but seeing him walking down the hall, coat slung casually over his shoulder, in his vest and shirtsleeves, tie loosened, was enough to send any straight woman over the edge. But that was part of his charm.

"What are you thinking to put that grin on your face?" Andy said between kisses.

"Just about how unbelievably sexy you are, that's all."

Andy returned the grin. "You are seriously gonna force me to carry you to that bed and take your clothes off."

Kelly chuckled. "I doubt you could lift me too far off the ground, and I don't want you to throw your back out."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No way. I know better. I'm just sayin', sugar."

That grin turned positively wolfish. "I know how to do the fireman's carry, baby. Weight is not a factor."

Kelly found that one tickle spot right under his ear along his jaw and kissed it. He squirmed and shuddered. "I'd let you try it, honey," she said, "but I'm not real fond of the idea of being toted down the hall across your shoulder like a sack of flour." That was a bald-faced lie and she knew it. Wouldn't bother her a bit.

"Yeah, right," was his only response.

Some while later, when Kelly's hair was a complete mess and Andy was ready to tear _somebody's_ clothes off, she finally had to say, "Babe, it's not early anymore. If I don't get home and get some sleep, I'll never get up in the morning."

"O.K., O.K. I know."

Kelly sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "What a mess," she said.

"I dunno. I like it," Andy said with a smirk.

"That's 'cause your hair doesn't get messed up much," she answered.

As they stood at the door, Kelly said, "Dinner was great. Thanks again."

"You're welcome. You be careful going home. Call me when you get there, O.K.?"

"I will, sugar. Good night."

He bent his head to hers and kissed her again. "Good night. See you in the morning."

"Absolutely."

Andy watched her walk to her car and wondered if he just might be falling in love.

* * *

The next morning, Kelly peered in the mirror at her neck. Well, the salesperson at Sephora hadn't lied. Her new concealer would cover absolutely anything. Of course, two days of fading time hadn't hurt. She sighed with relief.

At the station, Andy brought her coffee as usual and gave her neck the once-over. "Can't see a thing," he reassured her.

"All the better for you," she replied.

"You're not gonna let me off the hook for that, are you?"

"Not until it fades," she answered with a grin.

"Women," he said with a mock-growl as he went to his desk.

"You know you love it," she shot back, admiring his navy suit and light blue shirt and tie. All business, yes, but so very sexy. She just grinned at him and turned to her computer.

Provenza came shuffling in, looking like an unmade bed, as usual. "Why did God invent Mondays?" he said.

"To test us," Kelly answered.

The lieutenant eased over to Andy's desk and raised his eyebrows suggestively. His question was obvious. Andy gave him a sidelong look and went back to his work with a smirk, telling Provenza all he needed to know.

Kelly saw the wordless exchange from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. She knew Provenza had probably figured it out anyway, and that Andy was bound to tell him eventually.

The rest of the squad drifted in, coffee or tea in hand and looking like Monday.

When Brenda came in, as usual, she had an armload of files, but Fritz was with her this morning.

"Mornin', ya'll," she said. "We've got a perv on our hands. Teenage girl was found along I-5 late last night. Strangled, beaten, raped, the whole nine yards. Her name is Whitley Barry. One of Whitley's friends said she knew Whitley was supposed to be with someone she met online. Same old story. God, how many of these cases have we worked? Anyway, Agent Howard has the FBI's Computer Crimes unit looking into this, so we do have some help on that end. Otherwise, Lieutenant Tao, I've got her cell phone records. You know what to look for. Detective Sanchez, you and Sergeant Gabriel go see the Barry family and find out whatever you can. Ask to search Whitley's room. If they don't consent, get a warrant. Detective Hargrove, you and I are going to talk to Whitley's friends. Provenza, Flynn, Traffic is accessing the cameras along the Five to see about when Whitley's body appeared. Once they get a time frame, start running license plates and see if any of them match any known pedophiles or other deviants we have runnin' around this city. Thank you." She tacked up the victim's photo on the board and wrote her name over it.

The usual chorus of "Yes, chief," followed, and Brenda went to her office, dumped the files and came back with a, "Detective, you ready?"

"Absolutely, chief."

In the car, on the way to the school where Whitley attended, the two discussed more details of the case, then Brenda asked, "How was your weekend, Kelly?"

"Not bad, Brenda."

"So what happened after you and Andy left O'Malley's, all wrapped up around each other like two pretzels?"

Kelly grinned. "Do you kiss and tell, Brenda? I usually don't."

"Oooooh!" Brenda squealed. "You know I'm not askin' for a play-by-play. Just give me the highlight reel!"

Kelly chuckled. "Well, would it tell you what you want to know if I said he got us doughnuts for breakfast Saturday morning?"

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" She was practically bouncing up and down. "Are there _any _details you're willing to divulge, Kelly Marie?"

"Like what, Brenda Leigh?"

"Oh, you know! Like, is he as good a kisser as I've always thought he was?"

Kelly grinned. "I can't even begin to describe how much better."

Brenda sighed. "I had a feeling."

"You're a happily married woman, Brenda!" Kelly said.

"I sure am, but I can still window shop, can't I?" she giggled. "I'm just _curious_!"

"We're awful, you know that? Discussing Andy like he's merchandise."

"I know, we're just terrible. But would you tell me just _one_ other thing?"

"What?"

"You know that rear end that looks so good in jeans? Well, you know..." her voice trailed off.

Kelly laughed. "In a word, yes. Does that satisfy your adolescent curiosity?"

"Well, sort of, but I guess I'll have to be content with that much."

"Yep," Kelly replied. "Anyway, we need to get our faces straight before we get to the school. We don't want to show up looking like grinning idiots."

"Yeah, and this ain't a bit funny."

"Not at all."

The school counselor had gathered several of Whitley's friends for the officers to interview. Brenda introduced herself and asked, "Now, do any of you know who Whitley might have been meeting. A name? Anything?"

The girls looked at each other, but said nothing. "Chief, may I?" Kelly said. Brenda nodded.

"Look, you guys. We're not interested in ratting you all out to your parents. We need to find this guy. We're not trying to get you all grounded for a month. When you've got pervs like this circulating around, anyone, and I mean, _anyone_, can become one of their victims! You know Whitley died. You may have known her body was dumped like a sack of garbage along the Five. What you did _not_ know, because our department hasn't released the details, is that she was beaten, raped repeatedly, strangled and her body mutilated. Some of the mutilation happened before she died, and probably while she was still conscious. Oh, and her ankles and wrists were tied with rope so tight that her bonds cut through to the bone." Kelly paused to allow this information to sink in.

"Now," said Brenda. "Who was she meeting?"

One of the girls, her face white with shock, said, "Well, she met this guy on a chat site."

"O.K.," Brenda replied. "Which one?"

"It's called 'rchat.' You know, the letter 'r' then chat. Like 'our chat.' Anyway, she talked to him for like, a month, since school started, and said she was really in love."

"Do you have a name for this individual?"

"Just his nick. She said he called himself 'Starman.'"

"Starman?" Brenda asked.

"Yeah. There was some old movie called that," the girl answered.

Kelly sighed at the thought of a movie released in 1984 being considered "old." She looked at Brenda and said. "Jeff Bridges movie. Sci-fi, sort of."

"Oh, I see. All right then. Do you know where Starman lived, or how old he was?"

"Older," said the girl. "But I don't know how much. She said he lived in Bel Air, but I mean, that had to be a load of crap. People say stuff like that all the time to make themselves look good."

"Yeah, I gotcha," Kelly said. "Other than his name, are there any clues, anything, however, weird or whatever, it seems that you can think of? Even if it seems like some little nothing fact, it might help us find this creep."

"What would you do to him if you found him?" another girl asked.

"Arrest him for murder and get the District Attorney to attach special circumstances to it, so, if convicted, he could get the death penalty," Brenda answered.

"I mean, you guys can't, like, _do_ something to him?" she asked.

"Not legally, no," Brenda answered. "That's not our job."

"Asshole like that deserves somebody to beat him up," the girl replied.

"I completely agree," Kelly said. "But the Constitution applies to them too, unfair as it sounds." She gave each girl her card. "If you think of anything, and I mean, _anything_ that might help, call me, text me or shoot me an e-mail. You can always get me some way. O.K.? You can't imagine how important your help is. This is the best thing you can do for Whitley right now, is to help us get this roach into custody."

The girls promised they would and on the drive back to the station, Kelly mused out loud. "Starman. That's got to have some significance. Reckon Fritz could get one of the FBI profilers to start something on this dude, based on this?"

"Maybe. I don't think I ever saw that movie. What's it about?"

"Alien lands on earth, finds a woman who lost her husband and is still grieving him. The alien finds some of the husband's hair in an envelope and uses the DNA to basically replicate his body. He's got to meet 'the mothership,' so to speak, in Arizona in like three or four days, and they're in Wisconsin when the movie starts. He kind of kidnaps the woman to get him to Arizona, they fall in love, yadda, yadda, the government is chasing them, the mothership takes him home. The end."

"Hmm. There's got to be some clues there we can use," Brenda said.

"Yeah," Kelly agreed. "The problem is, the movie Starman wasn't a mean alien. He was a genuinely good guy. He rescues the girl from a fire, doesn't hurt people. He didn't come to earth to rape and pillage."

"Well, maybe our evil Starman _feels_ like an alien. Like he's trapped here in another body," Brenda speculated.

"Yeah, could be. Wonder if there have been other abductions that didn't turn out as badly? I mean, his kind usually escalate."

"I had the same thought. I haven't even been down to see the body, yet. The M.E. said it was pretty bad."

"Are they ever good?"

"No, but some are worse than others. This is one of them, I'm afraid," Brenda replied.

Kelly drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "I wonder if there's any significance in dumping Whitley on the Five. Was it convenient, or did it have some hidden meaning?"

"That's what I _hate_ about these kinds of cases," Brenda exclaimed, slapping the side of the car door. "Trying to figure out what motivates these nuts!"

"I've quit trying," Kelly said. "I just say they're bat-shit crazy and go on with it." She chuckled ruefully.

"You have a point. I'd never let those men know, or the air in the murder room would turn blue with the language, but sometimes you just have to use the appropriate term, and 'bat-shit crazy' is the one for this situation."

"It does have a certain authenticity about it, in this case. Let's throw all this in Fritzie's direction and see if the Fibby people can do anything with it. They've got shrinks on staff who got their degrees in figuring out these jokers. I'm an English major. Best I can come up with is a good, juicy Shakespearean insult."

"Shakespeare had some good ones. What's your favorite?"

Kelly thought. "Well, there's what Margaret of Anjou calls Richard the Third. She says he's an 'elvish-mark'd, abortive, rooting hog,' That's in my top ten, for sure."

"Now _that_ has a ring to it!" Brenda laughed. "But I sure hope the FBI can put something together. It would be helpful. But having the chatroom name helps. Wouldn't we love to catch this piece of garbage in the act? Ooooohhh. I'd love to have five minutes with him in a room with no cameras."

"And a baseball bat," Kelly finished.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a cattle prod," Brenda said.

"That, too."

Back in the murder room, Brenda caught Fritz up on what Whitley's friends had said and he relayed the information to his colleagues. "Now, we wait," he said.

"Unfortunately. What do we have, people?"

Lt. Tao said, "Chief, the vic's cell phone has several calls to the same number last night. It's a throwaway phone, though."

"It would be," Brenda said. She looked to Flynn and Provenza. "Nothin' on the cars, chief," Flynn said. "This guy must've come in from another direction and dumped the body. We did get a timeframe. The body was dumped sometime between 4 and 4:10 a.m. You can barely see it on the camera at that angle, but it's not there and then in the 4:10 sweep, it is there. Wish we could have actually seen someone else in the image, but it was just too dark there on the bank."

Brenda nodded. "Sanchez, please tell me you and Gabriel got _something_ at the Barry house."

"Well, we got Whitley's computer and the FBI and our computer forensics people are stripping it down," Sanchez said.

"Her parents were very cooperative," Gabriel added. "But they didn't know as much as her friends did."

"No surprise there," Andy sighed.

"Well, if hadn't been for the fact that her parents had her fingerprinted years ago in one of those 'Stranger Danger' ID kits and the department had her prints on file, we'd still be looking to ID her. So obviously, they were caring parents," Brenda said. "Detective, it's not pleasant, but do you want to go with me to view the body?"

"Not really, but I will," Kelly answered. She looked over at Andy.

"I'll go, too," he offered.

As they descended to the morgue, Andy said, "Have you ever wondered why the morgue is always in the basement?"

Kelly shuddered. "Hush."

As they entered the exam room, the M.E. shook his head. "Chief, this is a _really_ bad one. Have you looked at the crime scene photos yet?

"Haven't had time. We've been chasing leads all morning. I just know what Agent Howard told me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, and pulled the sheet back from the body. As one, Brenda and Kelly gasped in shock.

Whitley Barry's face was horribly mutilated. Her nose was almost gone, and her face was sliced open from temple to jaw on one side. There was no resemblance to the pretty girl in her yearbook photo.

"It gets worse," the M.E. said, showing the rest of the body.

The torso had several long, deep cuts zig-zagging down it, with random holes gouged in it. Her left breast had been cut off entirely. Somehow, the absence of blood made the sight even more gruesome. The arms and thighs had been similarly carved.

"Her genitals are more or less non-existent," the M.E. said. "Bruising indicates repeated sexual trauma, some ante-mortem, some post-mortem."

Kelly had seen burned corpses that were nowhere near as awful as this. Her gorge rose and she put a hand to her mouth and turned her head. She immediately felt Andy put a protective arm around her shoulders and she buried her face in his coat.

Brenda was nearly hyperventilating with shock and anger, and Andy pulled her close, as well. Not that he didn't feel like tossing his cookies, too. In all his years as a beat cop and detective, this was one of the worst he had ever seen. "Can you cover her up, doc? Hard to think when you're staring at that," he said.

"I agree," the doctor said as he sheeted the body.

Kelly looked over at Brenda, who was ashen-faced. They were both glad to have Andy Flynn around in this kind of situation.

A strange thought occurred to Kelly. "Have any of you ever done any reading on the Jack the Ripper case?"

Andy shook his head.

"A little, when I was in abnormal psych," Brenda said. "Why?"

"It's one of those cases that's always fascinated me," Kelly said. "And this poor child's body looks a whole lot like one of his victims."

"They have pictures of that?" Andy said.

"Yeah, of the body in the morgue. In that day and age, they ran the photos in the newspapers. Being in black and white lessened some of their impact, though. Anyway, I think it's Catherine Eddowes who was mutilated like that. Not like Mary Kelly, but Catherine was an earlier victim. The photos are on the Internet."

The M.E. cocked his head. I think I remember seeing them. He went to his computer and looked around. "Yes. Here they are." He looked over the photos. "Detective Hargrove, you have a remarkable memory. It was Catherine Eddowes, and the wounds are strikingly similar."

"Great," Kelly said, voice heavy with sarcasm. "Now we have a Starman who kills like Jack the Ripper. Delightful."

Brenda's phone rang. It was Tao. "Chief, you need to see this," he said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she answered, thanked the M.E. and left the morgue with Andy and Kelly.

"I don't think I can stand to see another thing," she said.

The crew was gathered around Mike's computer, just staring.

"What is it?" Brenda said, looking at the screen. "Oh my dear Lord."

Kelly was speechless. Andy crossed himself. On the screen was a video of the masked Starman in the process of torturing Whitley Barry as she pleaded for her life.

"Fritz!" Brenda fairly screamed. He came flying out of her office. "You call your people and tell them to do whatever they've got to do to get this off the Internet, even if it means taking the whole site down! No one needs to see this! But save a copy, Mike. It might give us some clues."

"Yes ma'am," he said.

"I'll get my people on it pronto," Fritz said, writing down the site name and getting on his cell.

Brenda glanced at the clock. "O.K., people. I think we've all had about enough any of us can take for one day. God knows I have. There's not a lot more we can do until we've got analysis on more of this evidence. Let's get out of this hell hole and all go home and hug our babies and our loved ones."

"Amen, chief," Provenza said.

"Thank you all for what you've done today. I don't think I have to reiterate the importance of what we're doing on this case."

"The site will be down in 20 minutes or less, probably less," Fritz said, coming back in.

"Thank God," Kelly answered.

"So let's go home," said Brenda.

The crew left the murder room, silently.

As Andy and Kelly got to the parking deck, he enfolded her in his arms. "Are you O.K., babe?" he asked.

"No. Definitely not. Not after seeing that. I'll never be O.K. again."

"I know, Kelly. Will you be all right going home?"

She nodded, then pulled back to look at him. "Yeah, but will you come over?"

"Sure." He hugged her again, then tipped her chin up. "Want me to bring my pajamas and toothbrush?" His smile was gentle.

"You'd better believe I do. There's no way I'm spending tonight alone."

"I'll be there, darlin'."

"See you then," Kelly said. Andy kissed her and let her go to her car. He was glad he had her –and his sponsor. This was one of those nights when he felt like crawling down into a bottle of bourbon. But he would call Jake and go to Kelly, instead.


	9. Chapter 9: Still Standing

**A/N:** As always, first and foremost, thanks for the R&R! Ever written something that took a completely different direction than what you were planning? That's sort of how this chapter emerged. The ending sounds a little final, but I promise there is more to come! Hope you all are still enjoying it. It's been a heck of a lot of fun to write.

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 9: Still Standing**

When Andy knocked on the door, Kelly nearly jumped out of her skin. When that happened, she knew a case was getting to her. She opened the door and just seeing Andy standing there made her feel better immediately. "Come on in," she said.

He had a backpack with him that he tossed on a chair and, without a word, took her in his arms and simply held her. Kelly hung on to him, feeling a little sanity return just being there, head against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat, feeling the warmth of his body seeping into hers, smelling his aftershave and whatever it was that made him smell uniquely like Andy. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and he stroked her hair.

Kelly often groused her hair was fine and thin like a baby's, and it wasn't much of an exaggeration, Andy thought, as he held her, touching her hair. Something about sturdy, self-reliant Kelly just _needing_ him so much right now gave him an odd feeling. He wasn't sure what name to put on it, or if the feeling had a name. He'd think about it later, anyway.

"I'm glad you're here," she said.

"Me too. It sucks to be alone after a day like today."

"You got that right."

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

"Yeah. Can of soup. All I wanted."

"O.K." Andy pulled away, only to lead Kelly to the sofa, and sit down with her. She snuggled to him again. "Are you gonna be all right, babe?"

"Eventually," Kelly answered. "Just hold me for a little while."

"Oh, I can do that." He reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Some stupid reality show was on, which suited him. He didn't want to have to think about anything. In a few minutes, Kelly's even breathing told him she had fallen asleep. He didn't see how she could be comfortable with the her neck at that awkward angle, but she was sleeping soundly, as far as he could tell. He was tired, but not sleepy, so he arranged himself so he could see the TV, and snuggled Kelly against him, her head on his arm.

She opened her eyes just a few minutes later and the feel of Andy's body behind her, his arms securely around her, was wonderful. He kissed her behind her ear. "Feel better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

Andy still couldn't fathom what exactly it was about this woman that turned his blood to fire. But whatever it was, it was potent. It made him want to rip their clothes off and take her there on the sofa, or against the wall, or wherever he could have her. It made him want to cherish her and hold her like a baby and take care of her.

Kelly had turned so she could see his face and watched the emotions chase across it. She touched his cheek. "What are you thinking about, sugar?" His expression was almost wistful.

"Why didn't I meet you years ago?"

"Wouldn't have been good for either one of us, then," she answered.

"I guess not." He looked at her for a moment. "Why haven't you settled down? Had kids?"

"Never found the right man. I can't have kids."

"No?"

Kelly shook her head. "Cancer scare when I was 27. I had a hysterectomy."

"You had cancer?"

"No, thank God. It was fibroids, but with my family history, I decided to go ahead and have it done, just so I wouldn't be having a biopsy two or three times a year."

"I'm sorry. I mean, about you not being able to have kids."

"Don't be, Andy. Not everyone needs children. I didn't. And as for a husband, well, I firmly believe in marriage. But you can't do it alone."

"Well, no, but there wasn't anyone? Ever?"

"One guy. He was from Seattle. Long-distance relationship. He found someone at home. So there I was in Alabama." Her smile was crooked, her eyes sad with remembered rejection.

"What is the deal with those men in Alabama, then? How stupid are they?" Andy was indignant, now.

Kelly shook her head. "They're men like anywhere else. And most of them can't see past my lack of supermodel attributes."

"Their loss. They have no idea what they passed by."

"I said you were sweet. I meant it."

Andy kissed her, so gently. "Kelly, you know I can be the most obnoxious jackass in L.A. County. But I'm an honest man, if nothing else. And when I say you're beautiful, and sexy, and hot, and incredible, I am not being 'sweet.' I'm being honest. And you're one of the smartest people I've ever met, and the most aggravating know-it-all, and your brain works in some kind of way that scares the hell out of me worse than Brenda does. But I wouldn't change a thing."

"I scare you?" Kelly chuckled in disbelief.

"You're damn right you do. Sometimes I think you can read my mind, and that you're about two steps ahead of what I'm about to say."

"Hah. I am _not_ psychic, Andy."

"You don't see your eyes and that brain behind them. It would make you wonder, I guarantee."

"You're funny. Kiss me now, if you don't mind."

"Not a bit." He lowered his head to hers and kissed her sweetly, deeply. Kelly could feel arousal in every line of his body, and wanted that arousal. What was more life-affirming than making love, than real, honest passion? Andy had a mighty tough exterior, with a cynical, occasionally bitter edge, yet, but get past that tough, prickly husk, and he was sweeter than pecan pie, and every bit as delicious. What his mouth did to her was sinful. It had to be. His hands, warm on her skin, were a little soft, but also with calluses that fired up her nerve endings. She shuddered.

"Are you O.K.?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, sugar. Very O.K."

"I want you, Kelly."

"Fine with me, Andy."

He rose from the sofa and took her hand to pull her to her feet. Before Kelly even had her balance, Andy had somehow turned, put her over his shoulder in that fireman's carry, and was walking down the hall with her.

"Put me down, you caveman!" she squealed, pounding on his broad back.

He grunted with the force of the blows. She packed a wallop and was not pulling her punches. But he wasn't about to put her down. He walked into her bedroom and dumped her on the bed.

"You barbarian!" she yelled. "I told you I didn't want you doing that to me!"

He chuckled evilly, pulling his T-shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor. "I love you when you're pissed. I told you weight wasn't an issue, but you didn't believe me."

"Get out, you insensitive ox! You boorish oaf! How dare you?"

Andy winced. "Wow. You can throw out the insults, can't you?"

"Any day," Kelly snapped. She had thought it might be fun, but being carried like a bushel of potatoes without prior permission really lit her fuse. She scrambled toward the edge of the bed, only to have Andy catch her.

"I don't think so. Kelly, when are you just gonna stop fighting me?"

"Maybe I won't."

He rolled his eyes. "I said your brain worked in odd ways, and I meant it. A minute ago, you were begging for this. You know you're not _that_ pissed off about me carrying you in here like that."

"I'm not a sack of flour."

His sexy chuckle sent ripples down her spine. "No, you're way more interesting." Here, he rolled her over to her back, once again kissing her thoroughly. Somehow, her shirt and bra disappeared, and they were skin to skin. "Come apart for me," he said.

* * *

"Suits don't fit in a backpack, baby," Andy said softly into Kelly's ear the next morning. "I've gotta go home and get dressed for work."

"I know," Kelly replied. "But you can give me some sugar before you go."

He grinned at her and kissed her with that talented, experienced mouth. She twined her legs with his. "I thought you just wanted a kiss," he said.

"Mister, with you, I never want _just_ a kiss. But I'll have to be satisfied with just that this morning, I guess. I'll probably be dozing off at my desk as it is."

He nibbled her earlobe, which made her squirm, and she pinched his ribs, which made him yelp. "Hey! What gives?"

"Stop that. We've got to get out of this bed now, or we won't today."

"Sounds like the best idea I've heard in a while," he countered, continuing to plant tiny kisses along her neck. "Wanna call in sick and drive up the coast?"

"C'mon, Lieutenant. Get that sexy rear end of yours off this bed." She gave him a shove.

He sighed and rolled over. "All right. I guess I have to."

"Unfortunately, we both have jobs, and a gruesome case to solve. Not looking forward to it." She flung an arm across her eyes. "If you get there before I do, will you make sure the coffee's on?"

"You know it, hot stuff," he answered, kissing her one more time before he finally heaved himself to a standing position. "See you there."

"You got it."

* * *

As Kelly was driving to work, her cell phone rang. She answered it. "Detective Hargrove."

"Hi, Detective?

"Yes."

"This is Jade Hayes. I go to – went – to school with Whitley. You told us to call if we thought of anything."

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Well, there was this girl I went to school with last year. She graduated, but we were both on the cheerleading squad. I know she got involved with this guy she met online. She disappeared for a couple of days, and when she came back, she was, like, different."

"Different how?"

"Like, well, I don't know. Weird. She like, looked over her shoulder all the time and stuff, like she was scared of being followed. She called me last night and asked about Whitley. She said she might know this Starman guy. I told her you would definitely want to talk to her, but she wasn't sure. She said only if you could not tell anyone who she is."

"We can preserve her identity and make it one hundred percent confidential," Kelly said. A lead! Maybe a lead!

"Um, well, O.K. Can I call her and give her your number?"

"Yes! Please, please give her my number and all the contact information on my card. She might be able to help us. I promise we will keep her anonymous. Please have her contact me. Thank you Jade. I appreciate it so much. I know Whitley's parents do, and I know Whitley does. Thank you.

"Sure, Detective. My friend's name is Peyton. I'll tell her to call you."

"You do that. I'll have my phone on."

"O.K. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Kelly went into the murder room with a lighter heart than she left it last night. She was still early, but Andy had, indeed, preceded her, but he also remembered her coffee.

"Thanks, sugar," she said, raising her cup.

"What's going on?" he asked. "You look like you got some good news or something."

She nodded "Potential good news, anyway. One of Whitley's friends called me on my way in. Says she has a friend who may know who Starman is. She said she would tell her friend to contact me."

Andy's face lightened "Best news we could've had today, for sure. That's gonna make the chief real happy."

"And even happier if she calls me. How I pray she does!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Me too," Andy said.

"How about putting a word in Grandma Flynn's ear for this one?" Kelly said.

Andy grinned at her. "Consider it done," he answered.

When Brenda and Fritz arrived, Kelly told her the news and Brenda heaved a huge sigh. "Thank the good Lord. We needed a lead so bad in this case." She shook her head. "What's the word on Whitley's computer?"

"They're still working on it, chief," Sanchez said.

Kelly's cell rang and she ran to catch it. She pounced on it. "Detective Hargrove."

"Yeah, Jade Hayes told you I'd call you."

"And what's your name?" Kelly said, fingers crossed.

"Peyton Morgan."

"Oh, Peyton, I'm so very glad you called!" She gave the squad a thumbs-up. "Jade told me you had some concerns about your identity being protected. Please don't worry. We will absolutely keep you anonymous. Is there any way you can come down here and talk with us, maybe talk to a sketch artist?" A pause.

"You can? That's great. We'll be expecting you. Thank you again for calling and for being willing to help us out. We truly appreciate it." She hung up the phone. "Said she'll be here in an hour."

"Yes!" Brenda said, clapping her hands. "Good work, Detective! We're gonna get this creep yet," she said as she walked into her office.

Kelly turned to Andy. "Tell Grandma Flynn thanks for me," she said.

"Will do," he said with a grin.

A uniformed officer showed Peyton to an interview room. Before Brenda and Kelly went inside, Brenda said, "You ask the initial questions. She called you, so there's some trust established." Kelly nodded and they went into the room, followed by the sketch artist.

"Hello, Peyton," Brenda said. "I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and this is Detective Kelly Hargrove. Thank you so much for agreeing to speak with us. I know your information will be a tremendous help to us."

"You're welcome," the girl said quietly. She was very pretty, and, in fact, Whitley had similar coloring. Both were archetypal California blue-eyed blondes. Something else to file away for future reference.

"Peyton," Kelly began, "Why do you feel you know Whitley Berry's killer? Have you met him, or chatted with him online?"

"Both. It started out chatting, then he started saying how he wanted to meet me, that he thought I was beautiful, that he really loved me."

"How long ago was this?"

"About four months ago."

Kelly nodded. "Go on, please."

"Well, I met him a couple of times, in public places at first, you know, like all the magazines say you're supposed to do. And he seemed fine. He's intelligent, friendly, you know, seemed like a nice guy."

"I do know. What age fellow is he, would you say? Ballpark."

"Um, I don't know. He said he was 28 last year. Maybe, 35 or under."

"That's great. Anything you can give us helps. Height, weight, hair, eye color?"

"Maybe 5'10? Average height, I guess you'd say. Light brown hair, you know, nothing really stands out."

"What about his eye color?"

Peyton bit her lower lip. "Yeah, his eyes sort of stood out. They were kind of this weird sort of grayish-green. Not really any one particular color."

"Average build?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, whatever average is, you know. Not thin, but not big either." That fit with what they were able to tell about him from that horrible video.

"O.K. So really nothing about him that would make him stand out from the crowd."

"No."

"Do you know his real name?" Kelly said.

"Well, he _told_ me it was Derek Ward, but I mean, after what happened to Whitley, how can you know if anything he said was the truth?" She was on the verge of tears.

"So what happened after you two met in public?" asked Brenda, who handed her a tissue and patted her hand.

"Well, we kept chatting, and he started calling my cell, wanting me to spend the weekend with him. I thought he was going pretty fast, and told him so, so he backed off. But he still wanted us to go to the movies and out to dinner and stuff like that."

Kelly said, "Did you go out with him?"

"Yeah, and they were O.K. dates. But about the third one, he started talking about how people are flawed, and how we should be really careful who we have kids with because we don't want to pass on genetic diseases. It was a little weird."

"What kind of car did he drive?" Kelly asked.

"It was a Toyota."

"You're sure?" said Brenda.

"Yeah, because he was always griping about whether he should have bought a Honda or not."

"We'll check out his car, then," Brenda replied, which was a signal to the crew watching the interview.

"I'm on it," Lt. Tao said, and left the room.

"All right Peyton," Brenda said. "Your friend Jade said you did 'disappear' as she puts it, for a weekend. What happened?"

The girl dropped her eyes and grimaced. "I d-don't know..." her voice trailed off.

"Please try," said Kelly. "If you can't continue, we can talk about something else, but this could be such crucial information."

Peyton pressed her lips together tightly and nodded. "O.K. We were out on a Friday night, and he started driving out of town. Toward Malibu. I asked him what he was doing and he said we were going to the beach. I didn't really want to go and when I said so, he didn't say anything, just kept driving. I kept asking him to stop, turn around, everything. But he wouldn't."

"What did you do?" Brenda asked.

"I tried to get out at a stoplight, but he had these child locks on the doors and I couldn't open the door, and he had the window locks on, so I couldn't roll down the window, either. I was s-so scared."

"I know you were. I would have been, too," Kelly said. "Then what?"

"He just kept driving. And he wouldn't say anything to me. He didn't threaten me or anything – just wouldn't talk. That was even scarier. We got to this shack-looking place and he stopped there. It wasn't really on the beach— sort of back from it. Anyway, he opened the passenger door and just pointed to the place. I just sat there and said I wasn't going anywhere. He grabbed my wrist and practically dragged me inside. He had a bed and an old sofa, a table, couple of chairs. That was it. He threw me to the sofa and told me to stay there, that he had something to do. He came back and tied me to a chair, and took a bunch of pictures of me." She put her face in her hands.

"I'm so sorry, Peyton," Brenda said. "Can you tell me the rest?"

She nodded. "I just sat there while he took his pictures and tied me in different positions. I didn't try to fight him or anything. I didn't even say anything. I think I was just too stunned. He took my top off and took more pictures and then made me watch while he, you know. I wanted to puke." She drew a shuddering breath. "He kept me like that all day Saturday, just gave me some bottled water to drink. Nothing to eat. It was..." she shook her head.

"Did he bring you back to L.A.?" Kelly asked.

"N-no. I g-got away. Saturday afternoon, he started drinking and tried to get me to drink too, but I kept spitting it out while he wasn't looking. He got really, really drunk and passed out. He had tied and retied me, and since he was so wasted, he didn't get the knots tied really well. It took me about ten minutes, and I was free. I got dressed and left. I thought about taking his car, but I couldn't stand the thought of touching anything he had touched. So I started walking and found the main road. I got to a gas station and called a cab to take me to my house."

Kelly nodded. "You are a brave, brave woman. I know this sounds strange, but how much was your cab fare?"

"Eighty-five dollars. Everything I had on me."

"Do you remember the name of the company you called?"

"It was the first one in the phone book. The cashier called for me."

"O.K. How far did you walk, do you think? How long did it take you to get to the gas station?" Kelly asked.

"I don't remember, exactly. Two hours, maybe. I couldn't walk really fast.

"About two miles, then."

"Could be."

"Do you remember which gas station it was?"

"An Exxon, I think."

"All right. Did you call the police?" asked Brenda.

"No. I was scared and ashamed and figured they'd say I went with him, so they couldn't do anything to him. But when I heard about what happened to Whitley, I knew it was Derek. I had to say something."

"We are so glad you did," Kelly said, her eyes moist.

"Why don't you talk to the sketch artist some more and let's get a real good picture of this guy." Brenda put her arm around Peyton. "Thank you. Thank you. I can't tell you how much this has helped us."

Peyton nodded and wiped her nose. Kelly clasped her hands and hugged her, too.

In the electronics room, Brenda started giving orders. "Lieutenant Flynn, you and Detective Hargrove ride out the road to Malibu and find that gas station and interview whoever's there. When you're done with that, scout in a five-mile radius of the beach and see if you can find that shack. I'll be willing to bet that's where Whitley Barry died. If you find it, do NOT approach it if you think someone is there. Call me and I'll get a warrant and we'll get back-up to you. I'll ask Agent Howard to get the chat logs from that website and we'll see if Starman has been active since yesterday, and what he might be up to. He's obviously escalating, and we don't know exactly what his timeframe is between attacks, so we've got to get him sooner, rather than later. Sanchez, go see the computer forensics people and see if they have anything from Whitley's computer. Lieutenant Provenza, please stay with Ms. Morgan and escort her home, then come back and compare the sketch to anything Lieutenant Tao turns up from the DMV. Sgt. Gabriel, you're with me."

The affirmations came back and Andy and Kelly went to his car. "Thanks for the coffee this morning," she said.

"You're welcome. But I have to ask: what got into you last night? You surely knew I wasn't gonna hurt you, didn't you?"

Kelly sighed. "I know you would never hurt me, Andy. I don't honestly know exactly what happened. I just got freaked out. I'm sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry. You told me you didn't want me to do that, but I had to prove I could, I guess. I'm an idiot."

"No, no. I really didn't think I'd mind it, in spite of what I told you. I think I was, emotionally, in such a bad place, that I just... I don't know. I completely overreacted. I'd tried to take a nap before you came over, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw that poor child. It was messing with my head, bad. You know, we see stupid all the time. We see violence that stems from abysmal ignorance and anger. But even in our line of work, we just don't see that kind of – _evil_ – very often. And Andy, this is evil. Pure, unadulterated, unfettered _evil_. I can't see how anyone doesn't believe there's a devil when they see this. Someone who has given himself over to it completely. And we have to bring him to justice, preferably unharmed. They shoot mad dogs, you know."

Andy nodded. "Thank God we don't see it that often. We'd all go bonkers. But I want this guy. I want him bad. Whitley Barry is the same age as Bridget."

"Yeah. I thought about that. God knows how many girls he's terrorized in one way or another."

* * *

They drove for a while, mostly in silence, when her phone rang. "Detective Hargrove." She nodded. "Thanks. That helps." She hung up. "Mike got a hit on Ward. He drives a 2010 Camry, dark blue. He's texting me the tag number. Also, he said the sketch the artist drew matches pretty closely Ward's license photo. Mike and Julio are headed out to his residence." She got the text with the license plate for Ward's car and saved it. Another text came in. "Oh, crap."

"What is it, now?" Andy said.

"Mike's text said the background check turned up three involuntary committals in the past five years." She hissed, "We cannot let this guy nut up and get sent to a psychiatric hospital. If we can't get a needle in his arm, I want him doing hard time in the supermax."

"I know, Kelly. This asshole doesn't deserve to be around honestly mentally ill people. And they deserve better than to be around him."

"Let me get my fingers around his throat. I swear."

"For real." Andy saw an Exxon station ahead. "You think this might be it?"

"Could be. Isn't there a little sort of empty section between here and before you get to Malibu proper?"

"Yeah."

They went into the station and Kelly got a soda. As she paid for it, she said, "How long you been working here?"

The cashier shrugged. "Couple of years," he said.

"That long. Wow. See all kinds of people, I guess."

"Oh yeah."

Kelly pulled Peyton's photo from her purse. "I'm with the LAPD. I just need a little information, if you have it. Do you remember this girl coming in a few months ago, needing to use the phone?"

The man studied the photo. "Yeah. She said her boyfriend wanted to kill her. I called her a cab. Man, she was real scared. Asked if she could stay in the back until the cab got here. Course I said yeah. I hate these assholes who use their girlfriends as punching bags. He'd better be glad he didn't come in here. I ain't perfect, but I ain't never hit a woman. Never will."

"Sir, you've been a huge help. Thanks. And, do you know of any run down places around here? I mean in a place like Malibu, the run down, older places are getting scarce."

He thought a minute. "Yeah. There's a dirt road that turns off the PCH to the left about a mile from here. There's four or five places out there that oughta be bulldozed. Old guy owns them, won't sell the land. I don't even think anyone stays there. Kids party there is all."

Kelly nodded. "You may have just helped us save some lives. Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure. You catch that dirtball who was beatin' up on his girlfriend, hit him one good time for me."

Kelly grinned. " Will do."

Andy had gassed up the car and was scouting around the place. As Kelly walked out, he said, "Anything?"

"Pay dirt. He remembered Peyton. Said there's some run-down places about a mile down, to the left."

"Yeah. Right distance, too." He looked at Kelly. "Whatcha got?"

"Cherry Coke Zero."

"Wish I'd told you to get one for me. That sounds good."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Kelly answered, opening a fresh can of the beverage, and handing it to him.

He grinned hugely at her. "Babe, you're a miracle." He took a swig. "Wow. That's good. Cold."

"I know it. I love these things. Guy in the store said it was a dirt road so we need to look close. Let me call the chief and tell her what's up." Kelly made the call and brought Brenda up to date. "She reiterated her command not to approach the house if anyone is there. She's sending backup."

"Yeah, but if someone is there, we need to get a look, and backup is at least 40 minutes away." Andy spied a dirt road. "Just about a mile. This has to be it." He turned off and they could see four or five dilapidated looking houses on a hill, perhaps half a mile away.

"Let's get a little closer and walk up," Kelly said.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Kelly checked the clip in her weapon and cocked it. "Shall we?" she said.

Andy nodded and checked his weapon as well. They walked up the road.

Kelly pointed. "Tire tracks in this sandy ground. Looks like a car, not a truck or SUV."

"Yeah." He knelt down to look at the imprints. "They're fresh, too. Rained last night out this way. They've been here since then."

"Right." She adjusted her cap and sunglasses. "Let's see what we can see."

They crept up the hill and all the houses looked completely deserted. "Firetraps," Kelly whispered. Andy nodded in agreement. They came around the back of the third house and Andy held out a restraining arm to Kelly. He pointed. There, parked behind the house, was a navy blue car. They edged closer and Kelly checked the tag against the text from Tao. It was a match. This was Derek Ward's Toyota.

Andy and Kelly tiptoed towards the house, glad they were in silent sand to hide their footfalls. As they got to the last house in the line, where the car was, they saw an outbuilding –what looked like an old guesthouse or something of that nature. Kelly pointed to it and looked at Andy questioningly. He nodded and they crept closer.

"Do we sit or try to look in?" Kelly whispered.

"Chief said to wait for backup," Andy whispered back, clearly not agreeing with the order.

They crouched in the sand behind a fence railing. They sat for perhaps five minutes when they heard what sounded like a scream. They looked at each other and Andy whispered, barely audibly, "Let's get just a little closer, to see if we can figure out what that was." They inched nearer and heard what was obviously a young woman's voice. "Please, please let me go. I swear I won't tell anyone. Don't cut me again, please don't!" She screamed again.

"We've gotta go in," Andy said. "I'll get the door." They ran silently to the door and stood on either side. Kelly nodded at Andy and he put a shoulder to the door and slammed into it. "Freeze! LAPD!" he yelled.

Kelly came in right behind him, weapon drawn and aimed at who she assumed was Derek Ward. The man was masked as he was in the previous video, and Kelly dimly noticed the camera set up. A girl was tied to a chair, just like Whitley Barry, and had duct tape over her mouth, in which a horizontal slit had been cut, creating a truly macabre effect. Her dusty face was tearstained and blood trickled from several shallow cuts on her body and one down her jawline. "Help me," she whimpered.

"Get her out of here, Lieutenant, and get an ambulance," Kelly said. "I'll cover this piece of crap. I'm not scared of him." Andy picked up the girl in his strong arms and carried her out of the building.

Derek Ward turned to Kelly and took off his mask. He was, as Peyton Morgan had said, an average-looking guy. "Derek Ward, you are under arrest for the murder of Whitley Barry and the kidnapping and assault of Peyton Morgan. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and to have an attorney present before answering any questions. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights?"

"Of course," he said.

"Put your hands behind your back."

"How did you find me?"

"We're police officers. Put your hands behind your back."

"You're afraid of me," Ward said. "You saw my work on sweet Whitley. She was so sweet."

"Hands behind your back. I am _so_ not afraid of you, you nasty little twirp."

"No, not when you're holding a gun. But if you didn't have that gun, you'd be so scared."

Kelly looked into those empty, odd eyes. A cold madness came over her. She had the same feeling she had when she threw wife beaters in the cars. "Come on over here, then. I won't shoot you. I'll just take you to the ground and kick your tail all the way back to L.A. and then mop up the Five with what's left of your face."

Andy stood in the doorway. "Detective, the ambulance is on the way."

"Thanks, Lieutenant. This evil little man is resisting arrest. He won't put his hands behind his back. I'm strongly considering adjudicating his case to a higher court. Permanently." Kelly's voice was icy, expressionless. Andy knew from long experience that meant an officer was in a killing rage. If that sleazebag even twitched, he knew Kelly was going to blow his frickin' head off. Not that he blamed her. Not that he didn't want to do the same thing. Not that he hadn't been in Kelly's exact position before, weighing whether it was worth losing his badge to save the taxpayers the cost of a trial. So, he did what other partners had done for him. He knew Kelly wouldn't fire if he stepped behind the little creep, so he did. He grabbed the wrist of Ward's knife-wielding hand and, just like they taught at the Academy, brought it behind him and flipped the knife out of his hand. Ward fought him and cursed, but he was no match for Andy, who forced his arms around behind his back.

"Detective, you want to do the honors while I hold him?" he said.

Kelly lowered her weapon and holstered it. The madness left her eyes and she took out her cuffs. "Yeah, Lieutenant. Just keep him from squirming."

"Certainly." Andy jerked Ward's arms closer together and they both heard a satisfying "crack." Ward screamed in pain.

"I think you dislocated his shoulder, Lieutenant," Kelly said.

"What a shame," Andy replied. "He's so lucky I didn't dislocate his head from his neck."

Kelly cuffed him and said, "He's been Mirandized. Shall we tie him to the bumper and see how long he lasts on the road back to the station?" She had the intense satisfaction of seeing fear flash in those empty eyes, ever so briefly.

Andy grinned in spite of himself. That Kelly had a real mean streak and he was glad it wasn't directed at him. "That's a fine idea, Detective, but the chief wants him intact. Unfortunately."

"A pity," Kelly replied. Sirens wailed in the distance. "Sounds like the cavalry is on the way."

"Not bad on the travel time," Andy said. "An officer calling an ambulance always speeds everything up."

"I've noticed that. Let me go check on the vic." She went to Andy's car, where the girl was sitting, blanket around her shoulders, shaking. "I'm Detective Kelly Hargrove. The ambulance is on the way. Hear the sirens? That's them. What's your name, hon?"

"T-Tasha."

"You're going to be fine, Tasha. When did Derek get you?"

"L-last night. I was at his h-house, and then he drove me out h-here this morning."

"Did you meet him online?"

She nodded.

"All right. We've got him in custody and he's going to jail. We're going to make sure he stays there until he dies."

"Why didn't you just kill him right here?"

"Tasha, honey, I was tempted, believe me. But we're really not supposed to do that unless the officer's life is in danger. But don't you want to see the look on his ugly face when the judge sentences him to death?"

"Yeah, I do," the girl said.

"Me too," Kelly answered.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance and backup arrived. The EMTs went to Tasha right away, while uniformed officers ran to the structure where Andy held the suspect. "Gentlemen," he said. "Good to see you. Why don't you pick up the trash and take it back to where it belongs."

"You got it, Lieutenant," one of the officers said and jerked Ward out of the chair. He howled with pain. "That jerk dislocated my shoulder! He did it on purpose!"

"Cry me a river," the officer replied. "They'll look at it in the jail infirmary." He dragged Ward out to the squad car.

Brenda, Sgt. Gabriel, and Lieutenants Tao and Provenza hurried to the scene. "Detective! How's the girl?" Brenda said.

"A few shallow cuts, but as far as I can tell, she'll be all right, chief. That's why we went in before you got here. We were afraid of what might happen to her in the meantime."

"Yeah, I understand. The forensics people are right behind us to go over the crime scene." Brenda gave a few orders and turned back to Kelly, who was watching the black and whites leave with their killer. "We got him Kelly. He's not going anywhere."

"Yeah. I know. I just wish Peyton Morgan had called the police when she was abducted. Whitley Barry might still be alive. But like I said to Andy, playing the 'what if' game will drive you crazy in a hurry."

"It sure will. But you know, we caught this freak in two days. If Peyton Morgan hadn't come forward, _this_ girl would have died. Catching one of these kind this quick doesn't happen very often. Let's count our blessings, Detective."

"I do, believe me."

"What did I hear him screaming about a dislocated shoulder?"

"Andy was holding him and when I tried to get the cuffs on him, he resisted," Kelly answered.

Brenda grinned. "If that's what happened, then that's what'll go in my report. Well, you and the Lieutenant can go on back to the station."

"Thanks, chief."

When Andy and Kelly got back to the murder room, Kelly put her head on her desk. "No more weeks like this one," she said.

"I'll second that," Andy replied. The room was empty and he started massaging her neck and shoulders with those big hands.

Kelly sighed. "I'll give you an hour to quit that, Andrew," she said.

"I know what was running through your head when you had that creep at gunpoint," he said, by way of reply.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You were thinking if it was worth losing your badge to have the satisfaction of sending him straight to hell. Been there, done that."

"I think we all have been there."

"We have, and we help each other remember it's not our job."

"I know," Kelly said. "I just wanted him to be in fear of his life, like Whitley Barry was."

"Yeah. Tying him to the bumper _was_ a great idea, though. I think it would be a really good deterrent." He laughed and so did Kelly.

"I'm glad this day is nearly over."

"Me too. But we got him."

"Yep. We got him."


	10. Chapter 10: A Natural Woman

**A/N:** As always, thanks for the continued reviews. They do help keep the inspiration engine running. After a couple of rather heavy chapters, I felt like lightening the atmosphere a little. Advances the relationship a little, but is mostly fluffy fluff fluff. Pink and fluffy, even. LOL. Or your pastel color of choice. My mp3 player provided the selections for Kelly's music. And I do the same thing she does. Heh. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Natural Woman**

"He lawyered up the second I got him in the room, so I just sent him packing to wait on the arraignment. I don't want him to plead guilty. Special circumstances won't apply," Brenda said the next morning. "The D.A. has enough evidence to send three of him to prison. So I just wasn't interested in getting a confession. It's locked up."

"That's a good feeling," Kelly said.

"It surely is," Brenda agreed. "Do we want to wait until Friday to go out again?"

"Yeah, that works," said Provenza. "Means even old geezers like me can stay out a little late." Everyone laughed at that.

"It is so good to have a quiet day for a change," Kelly said. "I have a ton of paperwork, and if we can stay out of a murder case for a couple of days, I can actually get caught up on it! Wouldn't that be something?"

Sanchez nodded. "Oh, yeah. I don't know what 'caught up on paperwork' looks like, though. Never happens to me."

"Well, I'm putting on my earphones so I can work, so if anything happens, poke me," Kelly said. She put a set of hot pink earphones on and plugged them into her phone. She started a program on her computer and shortly, her fingers were flying across the keys.

Andy looked over at her. "How does she type that fast?" he said.

Mike laughed. "English major. How do you think she wrote all those papers in college without being able to do that?"

Andy shrugged. "Didn't think of that." He sighed. "I'd better do the same thing and justify my paycheck until somebody else freaks out and we get another case." He turned to his keyboard, but since his typing largely consisted of a two-finger hunt and peck method, his progress was much slower.

Even with a couple of false alarms that Robbery/Homicide ended up handling, the remainder of the week was quiet, although the Major Crimes crew had a chance to laugh a lot at Kelly. When she wore her headphones for a while, she would unconsciously start singing along with the music. It wasn't loud, but Gabriel and Tao had a competition going to see who could Google the song lyrics and come up with the name of the song first.

Kelly found out about it once when she removed an earbud to answer her desk phone and heard Mike say, "Got it! 'Love is Just a Game' by Larry Gatlin!" Kelly turned to look at him and took the phone call. When she hung up, she looked at her phone. Sure enough, that was the song she had been listening to. When she got really involved in her work, sometimes she didn't even know what song was playing. "What gives?" she asked Mike. He grinned at her and went back to his computer.

"You sing," Andy said. "We wanted to know what you were singing."

Comprehension dawned and Kelly screwed up her face. "Shoot!" she said. "I know I'm apt to do that. I'm sorry I was bothering you guys." She looked over at Andy. "Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

He grinned. "It was funny."

She pointed at him. "I'm gonna get you," she said, prompting an even larger grin.

Mike looked at his google search history. "You have some eclectic tastes in music. We caught Duran Duran, the Beatles, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Larry Gatlin and someone I couldn't identify. Something about 'Dear old sunny south.'"

"That was Jimmie Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman. Look him up and get a history lesson. I really am sorry I've bothered you. I honestly don't realize I'm doing it, so please tap me on the shoulder and tell me to hush. O.K.?"

"As long as you don't start singing some hillbilly crap, it's all right," Andy said.

"Hillbilly crap? Like bluegrass? Don't be dissing bluegrass!" she exclaimed.

"Who's dissing bluegrass?" Brenda said, as she came into the room.

"Andy was calling it hillbilly crap," Kelly said.

Brenda looked indignantly at him. "Lieutenant! Open up your mind! Bluegrass is a legitimate American art form. I'm sorry they don't use screaming guitars, but the music is wonderful." She flounced into her office.

Andy was stunned. How in the hell had he gotten yelled at when he didn't even do anything? Kelly looked at him with a smug grin. "Serves you and your smart mouth right," she said.

"Well, since you don't want to hear my smart mouth, me and Provenza are gonna go to lunch!"

"That's 'Provenza and _I_,' Lieutenant, and you just go right ahead. Have fun. Write if you find work."

He grabbed his coat and left the murder room. Kelly heard him mutter, "Frickin' know it all and that frickin' English degree of hers." She laughed. Life with Andrew Flynn was never dull, for certain.

Brenda popped her head out of her office. "Want to go to lunch somewhere civilized?"

Kelly grinned. "Sure. Somewhere the food doesn't come out of a wrapper and they have metal utensils on the table."

"Just what I was thinking," Brenda answered. "How about that soul food place?"

"Oh yeah. I am about to die for some decent peas and cornbread. Field peas with a hamhock the size of my fist in them. Yum," Kelly said.

Sanchez looked around. "Can I go? That sounds good."

"What, peas with hamhock?" said Kelly.

"Yeah. Sounds a little like how my _Abuelita_ cooked black beans."

"Come along," Brenda said.

Sanchez was raving over the food at the restaurant to the rest of the crew. "I didn't know you could batter and fry pork chops! Oh, they were delicious!"

"Take it easy on those pork chops," Kelly warned. "You'll make yourself sick. But since you liked the peas so much, remind me and I'll cook a pot one night and bring you some with cornbread."

"You can cook peas like that?" He was incredulous.

"Of course. I just usually don't think about it. But I'll cook some just for you, Julio," she said.

"Sounds good to me, too," Andy said.

Kelly looked over at him. "I cook ham with peas. _You_ don't eat meat."

He looked a little hurt. "Could you cook some without the ham?" he asked.

"They won't taste the same, but I'll make the attempt," she answered.

"O.K.," was all he said. But he knew Kelly wasn't too upset with him when she ruffled his hair as she walked by his desk.

* * *

It was Friday and once again, O'Malley's was rocking and the Major Crimes crew was celebrating. Fritz even came along with Brenda this time.

Andy turned to Kelly. "You thirsty? I'm going to the bar to get a cranberry and seltzer."

"That sounds good. Get one for me, too, please," she answered. He got up to get the drinks.

Brenda elbowed her. "Looks like things are moving right along with you and Andy," she said.

Kelly nodded. "Yep. He really is such a sweetheart."

Brenda snickered. "Sez you. I can name you a boatload of people who would tell you to your face that Andrew Flynn is the biggest, meanest SOB they've ever met."

Kelly chuckled. "Oh, I know. But they don't feel like I do about him."

"Kelly, are you in love?"

She tilted her head. "Maybe. I think I am. It sounds so cliché, but I've never felt like this about anyone. I mean, I've really liked guys, but Andy, gosh. When he walks by, I just have to smile. He makes me feel so good about myself."

"It shows. I think you're so good for him, too. You really cheer him on in staying sober and you expect him to live up to his obligations, not let you down. He's just seemed a lot more – content – since you two started dating. Just more settled and, oh, well Fritz says Andy's more comfortable in his skin, now. I guess that's something it takes another man to notice."

"I don't believe in playing head games and he doesn't either. He's completely honest, which is _totally_ annoying, but also very refreshing. He told me the other day I was wearing too much black, and was I in mourning for somebody?"

Brenda laughed. "I never realized he noticed that much."

"Well, you know what a natty dresser he is. Always looks like the cover of 'GQ.' He just has great taste in clothes and he notices what women wear. He's way too 'oo-rah' to be a real metrosexual, but he does have his moments."

That got a real giggle. "So what did you tell him when he said you were wearing too much black?"

"I told him black was easier to keep clean and to hush up."

"That's the other thing. He doesn't intimidate you one bit. You stand up to him, toe-to-toe, and I'm telling you, it's funny sometimes."

Kelly laughed. "I'm sure it is." She turned to see Andy walking toward the table, looking pissed. Walking with him was a gorgeous blonde. Kelly poked Brenda. "It's the Barracuda!" she said.

"Who, Andy's second ex?" Brenda put on her glasses. "Oh my Lord. You're right! But Andy looks none too happy about it."

"He'd better look none too happy, because I sure ain't," Kelly growled.

"Shall we be perfectly cool Southern ladies?" Brenda asked.

"Oh yes, I think so," Kelly replied, glad beyond words that she had a partner in crime on this one. The Barracuda was about to get a surprise.

Andy placed Kelly's drink in front of her. "There you are," he said and sighed.

Kelly smiled brilliantly at him. "Why thank you, sugar!" she said, sounding exactly like Vivien Leigh in "Gone with the Wind." "You are so good to me." She looked over to Brenda. "Isn't he just wonderful, Brenda Leigh?"

"Oh, he surely is, Kelly! You are _such _a lucky girl!"

"I know it!"

The rest of the crew, especially Andy, looked a little gobsmacked at this exchange. Fritz was the only one who had a clue what was going on, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut. Andy wasn't sure what was up, but had a feeling a conspiracy had been hatched in the 30 seconds it took him to walk to the table.

"Um, Kelly, this is Chloe Duncan, my um, ex-wife. Chloe, this is Detective Kelly Hargrove. You've met Chief Johnson and the rest," he said, sitting beside Kelly with the same look that those about to face the firing squad wear. Kelly squeezed his hand under the table. She and Brenda Leigh could handle this just fine. Provenza was looking disgusted. Chloe Duncan was a fine-looking woman, but he knew what she was like. Not interested.

"It is so nice to meet you, Chloe!" Kelly exclaimed. "I have heard so much about you!"

"Where are you from, anyway? I mean, that – accent and everything," she said with a grimace. Charming personality, Kelly thought.

"Huntsville, Alabama. Have you ever been to Alabama?"

"No way," the Barracuda replied, disgustedly.

"What a shame. Isn't that shame, Brenda Leigh?"

Brenda actually clicked her tongue. "It certainly is. And she would be so popular with the gentlemen there, too! A lovely woman like her! She wouldn't be so, what is the word I'm looking for, Kelly?

Kelly grinned maliciously. "Overshadowed, I believe, Brenda Leigh."

"That's it! Overshadowed. My little ol' brain just couldn't come up with such a big word!" said the Georgetown graduate. "You are so smart! Anyway, you wouldn't be quite so overshadowed there, Chloe. I mean, what with all the _really_ gorgeous women in Hollywood, it's got to be so difficult for even a pretty girl to get noticed by a man!"

Fritz shook his head. He knew a battle royal when he saw one. This was going to be Gettysburg all over again, except this time around, the South was going to win hands down.

Andy was bemused. He had expected fireworks, but this was completely new territory. He felt like crawling in a hole when the Barracuda corralled him at the bar and insisted on walking back with him. What was her game, anyway? Surely she didn't want him back. He didn't want her, he knew. But Brenda and Kelly had something cooked up between them and something told him to stay strictly out of it.

Fritz looked over at Andy. "Hey, Flynn! Guess I'm gettin' old. Let's go outside for a minute and give our eardrums a rest. I want to ask you something about the Starman case."

Andy grabbed the lifeline. "Sure, man. Yeah, my ears are ringing."

The men got up and went to the patio where the smokers were. "What the _hell_ is going on in there, Fritz?" Andy said. "I've never heard Kelly or the chief talk or act like that!"

Fritz laughed. "I know. It's a little scary. It's bad enough when you've got a Southern woman saying hands off her man, but when she's got a friend backing her up, it's ugly. Chloe has no idea what she's up against. What they're going to do is very sweetly insult Chloe until she runs out of there with her tail between her legs. I just figured neither one of us needed to be there. It won't take too long."

"I still don't get it."

"Look at it as the most exclusive sorority on earth. These women were born doing this. It's a sisterhood. Basically, they want to spare you the awkwardness of having to tell Chloe to hit the road. So, they're going to do it. They enjoy it. We're better off out here, believe me."

"Sounds like it." He shook his head.

Back inside, Gabriel and Sanchez were looking on at the exchange, open-mouthed. Provenza was enjoying himself thoroughly.

"So, Kelly, you and Andy are seeing each other?"

"It's just been a whirlwind! But you know how he is. Just sweeps a girl right off her feet! He's just the sweetest thing. Why, my pea-pickin' little heart just couldn't stand it!"

Chloe's eyes narrowed. Were they even talking about the same man? Brenda and Kelly saw her expression and grinned sweetly at each other.

That grin infuriated Chloe. Did this cow actually think Andy would look twice at her? With his appreciation of a fantastic body on a woman? And she thought she had anything to tempt him? Oh please. "Good thing he lifts weights if he swept _you_ off your feet." There. That should put her in her place and let her know Andy was completely uninterested in her kind.

"Now aren't you cute?" That was Brenda. "Why Andy was saying just the other day how nice it was to have a woman he didn't have to fan the bedsheets to find!" Provenza nearly spit his beer out at that comment. These two were unquestionably lethal when they were together. Separately, they were bad enough, but when they teamed up, it was just scary.

"Did he say that, Brenda Leigh? Wasn't that _cute_? He says such cute things. He told me how he liked having a woman who felt like a woman in his arms, and not a bicycle frame with boobs. I about died laughing. I wouldn't be a lady if I told what else he said, but we'll just say it expressed his approval of women with curves."

Brenda giggled and poked Kelly's arm. "Did it have anything to do with cushion and pushing?"

"How did you guess?"

"I just know my lieutenant, that's all!" They giggled again.

Chloe was furious. These two witches were going to sit here and insult her all night. And Andy, that coward, had gone outside. Damn it!

"I guess I'll be going now. So nice to meet you." She rose.

"It was so nice! See you again real soon!" Kelly sang out.

"Toodle-oo, hon!" Brenda said. Chloe disappeared into the crowd.

Kelly raised her glass to Brenda. "To the Steel Magnolia Sisterhood!" she said in her normal voice.

"Amen, sister!" Brenda said and they drank.

Kelly got up. "You go tell the menfolks the coast is clear. I saw the Barracuda headed to the bathroom. I'm just about to go fix her little red wagon, but good!"

"Keep it legal," Brenda laughed as she walked toward the patio.

"O.K. Chief," Kelly said with a wink. She headed to the ladies room.

"What was that?" Gabriel said.

"That," Provenza said, "is why no man stands a dog's chance against a Southern woman, let alone two of them. They stick together like glue and god help the woman who does what the Barracuda just tried. Now, our lovable little detective is headed to the ladies room to tell the Barracuda to keep her paws off Lieutenant Andy Flynn, or there is gonna be ugliness."

Kelly entered the ladies room, and as she expected to, saw Chloe peering into the mirror at her reflection. "Still the fairest in all the land, Chloe?" she said.

Chloe whirled. "You! Why you fat cow! You and that skinny bitch you work with! You two just humiliated yourselves out there with those fake accents. Nobody thought it was funny, for your information."

"Yeah, right. Provenza was about to split a gut laughing."

"How can you possibly think you could be interesting to a man like Andy Flynn, anyway? I mean, you just work with him. God, if I'd known he was so desperate that he'd go to bed with _you_, I'd have called him months ago! I mean, how much does he have to drink before he can get it up for you?"

Kelly listened to this, arms folded, leaning against the sink. "If you're quite through," she replied, "Then let me enlighten you. He chased _me_. I didn't have to do anything. And he's still sober. Has been for 10 years. Actually, he gives you credit for his sobriety because he's truthful. Then he said he left because you were harder to tolerate when he was sober than when he was drunk." That was a low blow and Kelly knew it, but the "how drunk" line flew all over her.

Chloe raised a hand as if to slap Kelly.

"If that hand connects with anything but that counter top, I'm arresting you for assaulting a police officer," Kelly said. Chloe dropped her hand limply at her side.

"Now then, my dear," Kelly said, taking a step toward the woman. The disparity in their height didn't bother her in the least. "You divorced Andy about what, eight years ago? Well, you've had a lot of time to try to reconnect with him, but you didn't. Now that he's seeing someone, you suddenly want him back. Well guess what? You can't have him."

"I can't? I'll bet you I can."

"You'll lose that bet, Chloe. And you'll look like a desperate fool in the process. So here's the deal. You leave Andy Flynn strictly alone. You don't call him, you don't text him or e-mail him. He's moved on, and you need to do the same. You think I'm some little ignorant hick, I know. But I'm not, and if you persist in that line of thinking, it will be a serious miscalculation for you. You don't want any part of me. I don't know what's in the future for my relationship with Andy, but I'm not spending any part of it dealing with you. I don't want to get a restraining order on you, but I will if that's what it takes to get you out of my hair. So take the adult course of action and walk on out of here like a grown woman. Leave us alone and I guarantee I'll leave you alone."

Chloe was shocked. She had thought this detective was surely some hillbilly who thought she was the law from some redneck movie. She didn't expect any sort of intelligence or backbone like this woman had. And she was clearly not impressed in the least with Chloe. For now, all she could do was leave, but wait until little Miss Alabama went back home. Chloe would remind Andy why he was fascinated with her in the beginning. She swept out of the bathroom without another word and Kelly chuckled. But she knew it wasn't over with this woman. Andy was right. The Barracuda was a complete narcissist.

The guys were back at the table when Kelly came out. Andy stood, concern on his face, and Kelly slid into her spot beside Brenda.

"Well?" Brenda said.

"I told her what's what, but I'm afraid we ain't seen the last of Ernest T. Bass," Kelly answered.

"I was afraid of that," Brenda groused. "Well, just have to wait and see, I guess."

Kelly scooted close to Andy and patted his knee. "It's all right, sugar. I know who you're going home with tonight. And it ain't her."

Andy sighed, but his body relaxed and he put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and smiled up at him. Chloe saw that from the bar and nearly went postal right then. She settled for slapping a ten on the bar and stalking out.

* * *

"Honey, are you ready to go?" Kelly asked Andy.

"Sure, if you are."

"Yeah. You following me to my place?"

He nodded. That worked. Kelly had plans for Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. They were plans she hadn't planned on putting into action quite so soon, but she felt the Barracuda's appearance made them a necessity.

They said their good nights and left the place, arm in arm.

When they got to her place, she let them in and as she locked the door, Andy pinned her against the front door with a deep kiss.

Kelly responded for just a moment, then, to his surprised, wriggled away from him. "Gracious, but you're impatient!" she said.

"It's Friday night. I can keep you up all night and we can sleep in tomorrow." He started toward her again.

"I'd like to powder my nose!" she said, and disappeared down the hall. He heard the bathroom door click shut.

"Dammit. Something's hatching in that head of hers," he said. He took his shoes and socks off and collapsed on to the sofa.

Something was indeed hatching. Kelly chuckled quietly as she took the products of a recent online purchase out of her linen closet and donned them. She brushed her hair out, applied some perfume and her very best cherry-red lipstick. She tiptoed into the bedroom and lit the candles she had placed around the room. Romantic. Then she walked softly into the den, where Andy was sitting, staring morosely into space.

"Penny for your thoughts, Lieutenant?" she said with a smirk.

He looked over at Kelly, standing in the doorway, and his mouth dropped open and went dry. "Uh" was all he could manage right then. She wore a red satin nightshirt looking sort of something that hit her about mid-thigh. It had a plunging, ruffled neckline and long sleeves with ruffles at the hems. The garment had side slits and as she turned, he could see something ruffled underneath. Her lipstick matched the nightshirt. And her smile was pure seduction. He stood.

"Well, come along, Lieutenant," Kelly said, crooking her finger at him. She started down the hall. Andy followed, feeling light-headed, since all his blood had suddenly rushed elsewhere. She went into her bedroom, and motioned him inside. It was candlelit and dim, but there was still enough light to see. "You're mighty quiet, Andy," she said.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Speechless?" he croaked. Her grin came back.

"Works for me. Now you just hold still," she answered. She came to him and began unbuttoning his shirt. He tried to help her, but she batted his hands away. "Stop that. This is my – project." He just nodded and allowed her to finish unbuttoning his shirt and slid it from his shoulders to the floor. Her hands went to the button on his jeans and she released it. She looked at him for a moment. The mat of hair on his chest was salt and pepper, rather like his hair, but it didn't matter. A man had no business being as purely sexy as Andy Flynn. She started for his zipper, then stopped and said, "Take off your jeans."

"Yes, ma'am," he said and complied. He didn't know exactly what she had in mind, but whatever it was, he was all for it.

Kelly admired the view of Andy in those black boxer-briefs. She raised her hand and stroked her thumb across his lips and then down his jaw. She pointed to the bed and inclined her head toward it. She didn't have to say a word. Andy lay down on the bed, never taking his eyes off Kelly. She grinned again at him, crawled on to the bed and sat with a knee on either side of him. She leaned forward and kissed him, keeping his hands pinned down under her hands.

"This is for you, so let me work, wouldja?" she said. He nodded, those dark eyes black in the candlelight.

She kissed his chest, his stomach, making her way down to where it counted, he hoped.

He hadn't misread her intentions, he found out, as his briefs hit the floor. For a woman who claimed very limited experience with men, her technique seemed exceptionally well-honed. And he was convinced she was psychic, or telepathic, or something. Every time he thought of something she could do, she was already doing it. He didn't have to think, or direct. All he had to do was enjoy it.

He was shaking and sweating as Kelly lay there beside him, looking for all the world like a smug feline. "I thought you said you weren't very experienced."

"I'm not. I read a lot," she said.

"Must be some kind of books. What was all this, anyway? Not that I'm complaining..."

"You'd better not be. I just wanted to do something a little special for you. How do you like the nightshirt?"

"It's lethal. Sexy but not slutty. Can I take it off for you?" he grinned.

"I'll take it under advisement," she answered and put her arms around him. " 'Course, it might be fun to just leave it on."

Andy, running his hands up and down the silk, said, "You might be right," and kissed her.

The candles had been extinguished and Kelly looked at Andy, sleeping most soundly, the moonlight touching his face and making him look like a kid. She touched his shoulder. He had chillbumps. He must be cold. She covered his shoulder with the blanket. He didn't stir. Kelly sat on the bed and watched him sleep for a long while before finally lying down under the blankets. "You're mine, Andrew Flynn," she whispered. "For however long we've got, you are mine." She snuggled to his chest and he slipped an arm around her. She was asleep almost immediately.


	11. Chapter 11: Stuck in the Middle

**A/N:** Not fluff, exactly, but more a little insight on Andy as a dad. Kelly finds herself dealing with a hostile 16-year-old daughter, who doesn't like her dad dating. Important stuff at the end! Thanks again, so much, for all the reviews. Please continue to R&R! Hope you enjoy! P.S.: There is really good stuff coming. Just gotta flesh out the chapter! Working on three at one time! LOL.

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

"Can you help me out?" Andy asked Kelly.

"Help you, how?"

"Tutoring Bridget? I talked to Sheila and she said Bridget really needs all the help she can get. And you said you'd do it."

They were enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning, having breakfast on the patio of a pancake house.

"If she's willing to let me help her, you know I will," Kelly answered.

Andy reached across the table and took her hand. "Thanks, babe. It means a lot to me."

"I know it does. Parents want their children to do well."

"Yeah, we do."

"When do you want to do it?"

"I hate to ask, but how about tonight? Ben even volunteered to come along, since he can usually keep her in line better than either her mother or I can."

Kelly smiled. Andy was a much better dad than he gave himself credit for being. "Tell you what. I've got a pizza stone and I do a pretty good pie. How about you all come for supper and I'll make pizza and maybe break the ice a little?"

"That sounds great. I just hope we get the pleasant version of Bridget. The moody version makes me crazy."

"I'll do my best to deal with either version."

* * *

"You sure act like you know the way to Detective Hargrove's house, Dad," Bridget said.

Andy rolled his eyes. "What? You think your old man can't follow directions?"

"C'mon, Bridge. Cut him some slack. He's trying to help you out, here." That was Ben.

"Everybody's always trying to help me out. I'm a little tired of it."

"Then get your grades up," Andy growled.

"You do _not _understand, Dad!" Bridget snapped.

Andy counted to ten and took a deep breath. "Maybe not. Maybe Detective Hargrove can help you get a little more – organized – in your work."

Ben turned to his sister in the back. "Bridget, can we have like _one_ drama-free meal this year? One? This woman is giving you free tutoring. Do you have any clue how much private tutors cost? You couldn't pay for one. She's cooking for us, which is a really nice thing to do. This is a big favor. And she and Chief Johnson are friends, so she's cool, right?"

"I guess. Bet she and Dad are _really_ good friends, though." Her meaning was obvious. Andy looked heavenward and counted to fifty.

"So what?" Ben answered. "Would you please stop trying to make everything the newest episode of whatever soap opera you're watching?" Two years out of high school had given him precious little patience for female teen dramatics.

Bridget spluttered with anger.

"O.K., guys. Let's try to keep it civil here. I'd like Detective Hargrove to think my kids have better manners than I do."

Even Bridget couldn't come up with an answer to that, so the rest of the drive was relatively peaceful.

Kelly was nervous. She hoped she could get along with Bridget. She remembered being in high school, and the pressure and emotional highs and lows. She just hoped she could keep her cool if Bridget really started needling her.

She would put the pizzas in the oven when they arrived. She knew Andy was apprehensive, too. But she would just do the best she could with whatever the situation offered.

When she heard Andy's knock, she said a quick prayer and opened the door.

"Hi, Andy," she said.

"Are we too early?" he asked.

"No, you're fine. Please come in." As they entered, she got a look at Andy's kids. Ben looked exactly like she imagined Andy must have looked at that age. Good looking kid, with a pleasant smile. Bridget must look like her mom. She had dark auburn hair and blue eyes. A really lovely girl, except for that sullen expression.

"Kelly, these are my kids, Ben and Bridget. This is Detective Kelly Hargrove."

"Hey ya'll. Please call me Kelly. I'm so glad to meet both of you. Supper will be ready shortly, so please make yourselves at home. Sit down. Would you like something to drink?"

Both greeted her civilly enough, and Andy ushered them into the den. Kelly followed and said, "I've got Coke Zero, bottled water and some sweet tea. Can I get you something?"

"Sweet tea," Andy said. He'd had Kelly's version of the ubiquitous Southern beverage before and he liked it.

"Sounds good. I'll try it too," said Ben.

"I'll have some water, please," said Bridget.

"Sure thing." Kelly brought the drinks out and Andy took a long pull at the tea.

"That hits the spot," he said. "What do you people do to tea, anyway?"

"Nothing really. Drink up. You know I don't like it. I just make it for company. I've got lemon in the fridge if it needs any more."

Ben had sampled his tea and was an immediate convert. "You don't like this stuff? It's awesome!"

"Thanks, Ben, but no. I never have liked tea, sweet or otherwise. I'll drink it hot with Chinese food, but that's about it." She went into the kitchen, where she put the first pizza in the oven.

"I have a big green salad if you'd like to start on that while the pizza is baking," Kelly said.

The meal was fairly uneventful, but over 10 years of experience as a police officer and two as a substitute teacher told Kelly that Bridget was biding her time. Kelly cleared the kitchen table and sent Ben and Andy into the den to watch TV.

"Well, I guess we can get started," Kelly said. "What's your next big test on?"

" 'The Grapes of Wrath,'" Bridget answered.

"Great book. Have you seen the movie?"

"We're watching it in class next week."

"It's a wonderful movie. Pretty faithful to the book. Great acting. One of the best films of the 1940s," Kelly said. "So, what's your teacher looking for, here?"

Bridget shrugged. "I don't know. You can look at the syllabus" She slid the paper over to Kelly.

Kelly scanned the sheet. "You guys got a team teaching system in place?"

"Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"The syllabus just mentions what you'll be covering in U.S. history, too. The two really do tie together. There's a website mentioned here that has an archive of Depression-era photos. Have you looked at it?"

Bridget looked a little stunned. "Like, why would I want to look at a bunch of old pictures?"

Ah. One of those. Not interested in anything that happened on earth before she graced it with her presence. "The photos might help you get a little perspective on what life was like for those people."

"Why should I care?"

Kelly shook her head. "Well, did you know that thousands of people, like the ones they talk about in this book, came west looking for work? They'd heard that work was available in the orchards and on the farms, so they left everything behind and came to California. I'll bet some of your classmates have great-grandparents who were Okies or Arkies."

Personal relevance was clearly a new concept for Bridget. "Like, these people were real?"

"Sure. Not the Joad family, of course, but a whole lot of folks just like them."

"Wow."

"Your dad said you had a paper started on the book. What's it about?"

"The teacher gave us a list of five thesis statements to pick from. I just picked the first one." She had her laptop and Kelly looked at the first page. "Biblical parallels in 'The Grapes of Wrath'. At least it's a good, broad topic. Let's look at what you've got so far."

Kelly read the first page. Oh mercy. How in the world had this child passed an English class? Kelly had no trouble seeing why she had flunked her midterms.

"Um, Bridget, do your teachers allow you to turn in papers written in textese?"

"They don't like it, but they deal with it," she said.

"Then they're not doing you any favors," Kelly answered. "This is not even standard English! It's pidgin gibberish. You might have some good ideas hiding in here, but you need a translator to figure them out. I can more or less make it out, but c'mon, Bridget. You've got to write in standard English."

"That takes too long."

"True, but it might save your grade and keep you from flunking English and having to make it up next year."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mom."

"Your mom has a point. Has anyone mentioned the 'C' average rule to you?"

"The what?"

"C average rule. The state of California has a rule that public high school students have to maintain at least a 'C' average in every class to be in any activities. Your dad mentioned you were thinking about trying out for the dance team. That counts. You've got to have a 'C' average in every single class, including English, to even be allowed to try out for the squad."

"No way!" Bridget exploded. "That is so not fair!"

"Don't yell at me. I don't make the laws. I'm just passing along the information."

"That sucks."

Kelly shrugged. "Just thought I'd give you some incentive to get your English grades up. Now, if you'll rewrite what you've got in that paper as standard English and let me look at that, it might give us a good starting point."

Andy looked around the door. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Well, we're just doing some evaluating, seeing where the critical areas are," Kelly said, thinking everything was a critical area for Bridget.

"O.K." He grinned and went back into the den.

Something in the look on Kelly's face made Bridget suspicious. "So, Kelly," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Are you and my dad sleeping together?" Her tone was utter innocence.

Well, it was out. Kelly could hear that question coming like a freight train. The only issue was when it would arrive. "That's kind of a loaded question, isn't it?"

Bridget smugly answered, "I don't see how. It's yes or no."

"But see, neither answer would satisfy you. If I say no, then you'll say I'm lying to you, and therefore not to be trusted. If I say yes, then I'm a slut and not to be trusted. I lose either way, and so does your dad, because no matter what answer I give, you're going to hound him about it until you end up in a fight with him. So, the best answer, and the absolutely truthful answer, is to say it's none of your business and you don't need to know."

"He's my dad!" she snapped.

"You're absolutely right. He's your dad. He's a dad who loves you and cares enough about you to try to get you some academic help so you'll graduate from high school. And he's a grown man."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Look, Bridget. I know it's weird to think of your parents as independent adults. It's weird to think about them having lives that don't depend on you. But that's the case. He doesn't have to ask your permission to live his life."

Again, a totally new concept for Bridget: her dad was an independent human being and didn't need her go-ahead to live. And she didn't like it one bit. She wanted to say how mean Kelly was being, but she wasn't. She wanted to tell Kelly to stop treating her like a child, but she couldn't, because, in every way, Kelly had talked to Bridget as, well, if not an equal, then not like a little kid. So, she resorted to her fall-back method: swelling up like a bullfrog and pouting.

"I guess we need to talk about this stupid book," she said.

"Great idea," Kelly said, with an inward sigh of relief. Thank goodness she had already sort of mapped out an answer to this situation.

Ben came into the kitchen. "Kelly, can I get some more tea? That stuff is terrific!"

Kelly smiled, grateful for the distraction. "Sure. It's in the fridge. Help yourself. Take the pitcher into the den if you want."

"Thanks." He looked at his sister and the look on her face. "What's up with you, Bridge?"

"Nothing," she snapped.

"I know there is." He looked at Kelly. "Is she being a pain?" he asked.

_Like a boil the size of New Hampshire_, Kelly thought, but said, "No, everything's fine."

"It is not fine!" Bridget said. "I asked her a simple question and she won't give me a straight answer."

"Do I even want to know what it was?"

"No you don't, Ben. I promise," Kelly answered.

Ben immediately realized what the question must have been. "You didn't, Bridget Paulina Flynn! I know you didn't ask that."

"Yeah, so what?" She was defiant now.

"Oh my God, I cannot _believe_ you! It's just impossible for you to act like a civilized human being for one night, isn't it?" Ben was thoroughly incensed.

"Hey, folks, please, calm down. I do not want your dad in here. I am not getting into the middle of a family quarrel tonight," Kelly said.

Ben took a deep breath. "You're right, Kelly, and I apologize. For _both_ of us. And little sister, when we get home, you and me and mom are having a lonnng talk."

"Oh, I am so looking forward to it," Bridget retorted.

Ben left the kitchen with the pitcher.

"Did I hear you and your sister arguing in there?" Andy asked.

"Nah. It's cool, Dad. It's all good."

Andy didn't believe it, but wasn't going to start World War III in Kelly's kitchen.

Kelly was looking at Bridget, thinking how much she needed a spanking. "You want to try to get some work done?" she asked, her tone even.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Sure. We always have a choice. You can sit on your butt all semester and flunk out, if that's your choice, or you can exert a little effort and pass the class. Your call."

Bridget looked a little stunned. "You mean, you won't help me? But you're my teacher!"

Kelly snorted. "Correction. I'm your tutor. Whole different thing. I'm not obligated to try helping anyone who clearly doesn't want the benefit of my instruction. You can get up right now and ask your dad to take you home. I'd like to help you if you'd let me, but you have to be open to what I'm telling you. Otherwise, I'm just sitting here flapping my gums and you're not getting anything out of it. Wastes your time and mine."

This had clearly not occurred to Bridget. "You're serious."

"Absolutely."

"Where did you get your degree?"

"Athens State University, cum laude. If you work hard and let me help you, you can pull an 'A' in this class. But you have to work."

"An 'A'. You're guaranteeing me that grade?"

"Only if you work hard. English is my thing and I'm good at it. I'm good at teaching it, but you have to work."

"So why didn't you teach English? Why be a cop?"

Kelly laughed. "Million dollar question. And the answer is, I got tired of dealing with mouthy kids. I wanted to be able to slap handcuffs on them if they gave me lip."

This actually got a smile from Bridget. "Sounds like something my dad would say."

"Well, cops do tend to think a little alike. You want to do some work?"

"O.K."

Once Kelly got Bridget settled down enough to work, she was able to get her to re-write the first part of her paper and it actually sounded all right.

"I think we've gone about as far as we can go tonight. E-mail me the paper when you've finished it and I'll send it back with corrections, O.K.?"

"O.K. And, um, thanks for your help."

"You're welcome, Bridget."

As they left, Andy said, "Thanks, Kelly. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Andy." Since Bridget's back was turned, he stroked her hair and smiled at her. She winked at him. She saw them piled into Andy's car, shut the door and headed for the Tylenol bottle. Saying she had a "splitting" headache didn't even begin to cover it.

She just hoped she could make it through the next couple of months tutoring Bridget. When she wanted to behave, she was a nice kid. Otherwise... Kelly was still of the opinion a spanking would greatly improve Bridget's disposition.

* * *

Andy called her later. "How did it go?"

"O.K. We did make some progress, I think. Once I get her out of the habit of writing papers in text-speak, we'll be ahead of the game."

"Oh, God. I had no idea she was doing that. No wonder she's flunking."

"Yeah. Makes sense."

"Did you have any trouble?"

"Not really. She just needed to know I didn't have to do this. It was my choice. Once we got that straightened out, it was all right."

"I think there was more to it than that, but I'll leave it there. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Come over after church and we'll have lunch."

"O.K. See you then. And Kelly? I-I love you."

Oh Lord. There it was. Kelly's brain raced as she answered, "I love you too, Andy."

"Good night," he said softly.

"Good night."

Andy wondered where he found the guts to tell her. Kelly wondered how she said it so easily. She shook her head. It had to come so easily because it was so true. She smiled as she went to shower and go to bed.

Andy was smiling, too. The words had come easily to him, too - once he found the courage to say them. All in all, it had been a good day.


	12. Chapter 12: Sweet Love

**A/N:** Kind of a long chapter; hope the payoff is worth it! All right, Rossi's LD, I took your request to heart (check the rating change). I don't write really down and dirty erotica (grin), but hope this will do. :) Please continue to R&R!

P.S. Sorry for the burps in getting this posted and rated, etc. My brain took a temporary vacation!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 12: Sweet Love**

As always, Kelly was in the squadroom early. She just got more work done before the phones started ringing. This morning, though, she wasn't working. She was staring at her computer screen, thinking about the previous weekend. Andy had told her he loved her. She was still having some difficulty digesting that, since she had a strong feeling he was leery about saying that to any woman.

But he had said it.

Lunch the day before had been a little subdued. They hadn't said much until they got out of the restaurant and Andy suggested driving to the Santa Monica Pier.

"Sounds like fun," Kelly said.

Andy started to turn the key in the ignition, then stopped. He turned to look at Kelly and took her hand. "I meant what I said last night."

She nodded. "I know you did. I meant it, too."

"I just wanted you to know I didn't just say it to say it. I meant it."

Kelly put his hand to her cheek. "I know, sugar."

And when he had kissed her goodnight, so sweetly, he said it again, this time with his lips in her hair, and his arms around her.

Kelly sighed, a slightly goofy smile on her face. Even at 43, it was possible to feel like a teenager again, and she was enjoying it. She patted the stuffed elephant on her desk and said, "It's a good day, Al."

"It is a good day," Andy said, placing a cup of hot coffee on her desk and kissing her cheek.

"Mornin' babe," she answered, looking appreciatively at him. This morning, he was wearing a navy suit, light blue shirt and navy tie. Yummy. "I always feel slightly underdressed next to you," she said with a grin.

"Don't. I could never wear lipstick like you do," he teased, kissing her again and going to his desk.

The mail cart had been around and left its usual load of stuff on Brenda's desk, but the mail guy had also been to most of the desks in the murder room.

Andy opened the envelope with his name on it. "Aw, hell," he said.

Kelly looked over at him. "What's your problem?"

He tossed a card to her. "The annual LAPD charity gala. Whoopee."

She read the invitation. "In spite of your notable lack of enthusiasm, it sounds great. The Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland!" She snickered. "Budget cuts everywhere, but the LAPD can fork over the cash for that place. Isn't that where they do the Governor's Ball on Oscar night?"

"Yeah," Mike Tao said. "It's something else. I mean, Wolfgang Puck's company caters it. Everybody ought to go once."

"Too rich for my blood," Kelly said. "I'll just stay home and commemorate the occasion with a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy ice cream and a pot of good coffee."

Andy looked stunned. "You mean, you're not going with me?"

Now it was Kelly's turn to look stunned. "Going with you? Do I look like I'm made out of money? I saw the invitation. $500 per head. No thank you. That's a plane ticket home, and then some."

Andy shook his head. "No, not if you're my date! Look. All the ranking officers have to go, if at all possible. Our tickets are free."

"And I'm supposed to manufacture a formal gown out of thin air? Sorry, Andy. You can rent a tux a heck of a lot cheaper than I can buy a decent looking dress."

"You don't have to buy a dress," said Brenda. "Good morning, ya'll. You were talking about the gala? No, the ladies don't have to buy dresses. Not in this unit, anyway."

"We don't wear our blues, I take it," Kelly answered.

Brenda giggled. "No, but that would be so much easier! Our gowns are designed for us."

Kelly's eyebrows went up. "Designed _for_ us? How in the world does _that_ work?"

"Well, several years ago, when we were still called Priority Homicide, we solved the murder of a man who was the father of a prominent designer here in town. Because we caught the killer, his son, the designer, said he would be glad to design the gowns for all the ladies in the Major Crimes unit for the gala, as long as he was in L.A. He comes in for two days, takes measurements, discusses designs, colors and fabrics, and about ten days before the ball, comes in with the gowns. They're fitted and he takes them back for alterations and two days before the ball, comes back with the finished products."

"Wow. Gotta love L.A. So, how do the dresses look?"

"I love mine and haven't heard any complaints from anyone else, yet. Occasionally, they've turned up on ebay, and sold for two or three thousand dollars."

Kelly whistled. "Jeez. I don't think I'd sell a designer gown. They're too hard to come by."

"I know it. I've given a couple of mine to charity, but I still have some of them, too."

"Very cool," Kelly answered. She looked over at Andy. "Well, since I have a gown and an escort, I guess it's a date."

He grinned. "Thank God. I didn't want to have to get my dress blues cleaned for nothin'."

"No tux?" Kelly asked.

"Not for us," Mike said. "But at least we don't have to worry about renting them."

Provenza groaned. "Don't remind me. I'll spend hours polishing those damn brass buttons."

Brenda laughed. "Fritz says there's a reason he doesn't pick up his tux until the day of the event. Says it gets too much cat hair on it, otherwise. So you can polish buttons and he can pick cat hair."

* * *

Javier, the designer, arrived two days later. He blew into the murder room and greeted Brenda enthusiastically. "Keeping that figure like you always do, hon!" he said.

"Thank you, Javier," she replied. "You're good for my ego. This year, you've only got two dresses to do: mine and one for Detective Kelly Hargrove. She's with us on exchange from Huntsville, Alabama."

Kelly greeted the man. "Nice to meet you, Javier." He wore cream slacks and a navy pirate shirt, unlaced.

"Two Southern belles to design for! I am in Heaven. And one with curves. I just love designing for curves," he gushed.

Javier spoke to the rest of the crew. "Provenza! You old wolf. Who's gonna be the lucky lady this year?"

"Haven't made up my mind," the lieutenant answered.

"Only three weeks to go! You'd better decide! Sgt. Gabriel, I know you have a date!"

"Yeah, I've got a date," he answered. David was notoriously tight-lipped about his personal life.

"Julio? _Como esta_?" and he and Sanchez had a rapid-fire conversation in Spanish that ended with both chuckling.

"I look forward to seeing her," Javier answered. "Lieutenant Tao! Why don't you have your lovely missus come up here? I'll do a dress for her, too! Might as well, while I'm at it!"

"Javier, we can't ask you to do that," he answered. "But thank you."

"I won't take no for an answer. I'll be here tomorrow, and she had better be, too."

"I'll tell her," he said.

Javier looked around and saw Andy, sitting at his desk, doing his best imitation of a thundercloud. "And Lieutenant Flynn!" he said, his black eyes twinkling with devilment, "you're not going stag, are you? Why, that would be a crying shame!"

Andy glowered at the man. Javier got on his nerves. "I'm taking Detective Hargrove," he answered.

"Ooooh!" Javier squealed. "I don't know who's luckier!" The look on Andy's face was priceless.

Kelly was at her desk, head bent, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. She could tell Brenda was about to lose it, too.

"Come on in my office, Javier," she said. "We'll use my big closet so you can take my measurements."

"Oh, of course. Down to business!" He waved at the squad and followed the chief.

Andy was grumbling, and Kelly made the fatal mistake of catching Provenza's eye. Both started howling with laughter at Andy.

"All right you hyenas. Yuk it up. Haha," he snapped.

Kelly wiped tears from her eyes and coughed. "Oh Lord, Andy. You should have seen the look on your face. Why don't I have my phone ready for these things?"

"Yeah. We could start a Facebook page: the faces of Andy Flynn," Provenza said and was gone again, this time with the whole crew chuckling.

"I just didn't know I was so damn funny," Andy growled.

"Oh, but you can be," Kelly said. "You certainly can be."

He harrumphed and turned to his computer.

An hour or so later, Javier reappeared and said, "Detective, it's your turn!"

She followed him into Brenda's office closet and he took out his measuring tape.

"I hate this part," Kelly said.

"Girl, be proud of those curves," he answered. "You caught Lieutenant Flynn with them, didn't you?"

"I guess so," she said.

He snapped his fingers. "Then show 'em off! Say to those skinny women, 'Girlfriend, I've got the hottest man in Los Angeles!' And you do, honey. You surely do."

"Brenda was right, Javier. You _are_ good for the ego," Kelly answered.

"We girls have to stick together," he said. Kelly chuckled. Javier was like a cartoon, but he was very kind.

"Now then," he said, looking Kelly over. "I am thinking red. But a blue red. Not the fire-engine kind."

"Red's my favorite color," she answered, "But I also wear black well, or navy, or emerald."

"Oh yes. Any of the jewel tones for you. But not navy. That stud squiring you around will be in navy, and I don't do the whole 'twinsies' thing. No, you want to look as good as he does. But different."

"Andy is pretty cute, isn't he?" Kelly said.

Javier sighed. "Oh, honey. I know what you girls say, 'He's either gay or married.' Well, for me, they're either married or straight. Real straight, and not a shot at broadening their horizons. But if I thought I had a _prayer_, well, I'd give you a run for your money for him! And he dresses well! Did you see him today? That light green tie with a silver sheen with that white shirt and gray coat? It's _art_, darlin'!"

Kelly laughed out loud at that. "You're a hoot, hon," she said.

"What can I say? Let's see. Let me look at you." He walked around her, thinking. "We're not doing the filmy, draped empire waist for you that makes you look 14 months pregnant. We're not doing a hideous mermaid or trumpet for you. No, we are flattering those curves, not X-raying them!" He looked her over again and took out his sketch book. "We're doing a halter with a V-neck. Sexy."

"Halter, V-neck?"

Javier looked heavenward. "Yes darlin', but don't you worry. No woman in a Javier design looks like a ho'. I won't have it."

"All right. What else?" Kelly said.

"The top is going to wrap around, surplice-style. A-line skirt. You see?" He drew it for her and she nodded. "All right. We're doing this in a gorgeous charmeuse so it glides over your body. We're not making sausages, we're dressing the female form. I don't know what some of these women are thinking, walking on the red carpet looking like unmade beds, or like they had a fight with a roll of plastic wrap and LOST!"

Kelly was doubled over with laughter. "You're a gem, Javier. An absolute gem!"

"Oh, I know. Now what about shoes? You have to have great shoes with this."

"Are we doing short or long?" Kelly asked.

"Now that is a good question. I'm thinking long, which makes shoes less of an issue. You're head and shoulders shorter than that hunk, so high heels are certainly worth considering."

Kelly chuckled. "Not if I break my ankle, which is a distinct possibility if I'm wearing really high heels. What about a red slide with say, two inch sculpted heels? You know, a little blocky, but curved?"

Javier looked at Kelly doubtfully, then drew a sketch. "You mean something like this?"

"That's exactly it. Stylish, sophisticated, but not likely to make me end up flat on my backside."

"I understand, but if you tripped and injured your ankle, your lieutenant would have to carry you to the car! _Romantique_!"

Kelly laughed again. "Yeah, and throw his back out for a month. Let's consider safety here."

"Oh, all right, you spoilsport. I saw some like these in a shop just the other day. I'll pick them up in what, an eight and a half, and bring them tomorrow."

"How much are they? I'll have the cash for you."

The man put his hands on his hips. "My dear, they are part of the whole ensemble! The only thing you'll want to buy is a bodyshaper. You cannot wear a gorgeous gown without one! Your gown will have built-in bust support, so a bra won't be necessary. When you get the bodyshaper, and I recommend the half slip, bring it with you to the fitting. I'll take it with me so I can sew in the garter clips. Or you can wear a garter belt underneath. You do not want to deal with pantyhose. I have beautiful silk stockings and all my ladies get two pairs."

"Javier, you're a miracle worker. How will you get two or three dresses done from scratch in such a short time?"

"I have _people_! Don't you worry. You will be the belle of the ball, I promise. Brenda might look as good as you do. Might. But I want that lieutenant's jaw to drop when he sees you. Might be the only opportunity I ever have to produce that reaction, more's the pity. Now you run back to work and I'll be back tomorrow with any other ideas. And tell Andy Flynn 'bye for me." He winked at her and Kelly went back into Brenda's office, chuckling.

"Ain't he a sight?" she said.

"Two sights," Kelly agreed. "He's almost a caricature of every fashionista you ever saw, but he's so fun!"

Brenda nodded. "And so sweet. I tell you, you could tell him any problem you've got, and he'd listen with every bit of sympathy. He really is a dear person."

"Yes he is. And he drives Andy up the wall. We were about to roll on the floor in there laughing."

Brenda snickered. "Yeah, he's got a crush on Andrew."

Kelly nodded. "Oh yeah. He threatens that carefully nurtured _machismo_ Andy carries around."

"He does do that. Andy is so funny when he gets flustered."

"He huffs and puffs and growls and grumbles. What a riot!"

Andy could see the two women in Brenda's office laughing, and had a funny feeling he was the topic.

* * *

Two cases hit the Major Crimes unit in the same day, and Kelly and Mike were doing the computer work for them. "You two are the only ones who really know how to use those things," Brenda said.

"I got the cell phone dump, the rap sheet and the car ID on Kramer," Kelly said. "The rap sheet's as long as I am tall, but it's mostly for theft, possession with intent, that kind of thing. Nothing major, really. He has one assault charge, which was also paired with a drunk and disorderly. He's not citizen of the year material, but I don't think he's our killer, either. My bet is he was there when it all went down, and knows who did it, so we may want to pick him up with that angle in mind."

"I think you're right, Detective," Brenda said. "Maybe we can get him to talk if we let him slide on the theft charge."

"Could be." Kelly said, looking at his latest booking photo. "He looks like a rat, don't he?"

Brenda put on her glasses and peered at the photo, then laughed. "He sure does. A scraggly one."

"Meth head, I'm betting, by looking at him," Kelly speculated.

"Yeah, me too. Scrawny and hungry. Let's remember to get him a sandwich when he gets here. No telling when he ate last."

"I'll remember, Chief. He's kind of pitiful, really."

Brenda nodded. "I'd like to choke whoever came up with meth. Turns people into zombies."

"Tell me about it. Want me to call Provenza and see if he and Andy can bring this guy in?"

"Yes, thank you. Let me know when they get here with him. But make sure he eats something first."

"Sure 'nuff, Chief," Kelly answered and Brenda grinned at the Southern expression.

That was only the beginning of how everyone was very busy in Major Crimes. Kelly worked late, went home, and collapsed into bed. Her dinner was a pack of peanut butter and crackers and a glass of milk.

* * *

"Now Kelly, darling," Javier said the next day, as he handed her a card. "See Trent for your hair. I can see that makeup is not an issue for you, but Trent is the queen of hair extensions. He can work beautiful wonders for you. When we don't have ideal hair, Trent is the one to make it fabulous. He's expecting your call, all right?"

"O.K., Javier, and thank you so much. I'm looking forward to this gown. I know it's going to be beautiful."

"My pleasure. You ladies are going to shine at the gala. See you in a couple of weeks. And remember that bodyshaper!"

"I will," Kelly answered. She hoped she could remember her own name after the current caseload wound down.

The next two weeks continued the trend. "God. Every freak in L.A. is goin' bananas," was Andy's pithy comment. Kelly continued her diet of snack crackers and with everyone working part of the weekends, barely managed to drag herself home before she fell asleep. One late night, she actually did fall asleep in her car before she started it. Provenza woke her up and insisted on following her home.

"Andy'll string me up by the short hairs if he thought I let you go home alone and half asleep," he said.

"You're a love, Provenza," Kelly said through a yawn.

Provenza actually approved of this relationship. Kelly and Andy were obviously crazy about each other, and Provenza could see some good changes in Flynn. He had a longer fuse on his temper these days and was generally more laid back. Provenza's only concern was what would happen when December came and it was time for Kelly to go back to Alabama. She really didn't like Los Angeles, and wasn't inclined to stay. She wanted to go home. She had told him she was tired of the smog and the crowds and the traffic.

"I've learned so much here, Provenza," she told him. "But Alabama is calling me back." This worried him. He didn't think Andy would leave his job and his pension to follow her, and he didn't think Kelly could live in L.A. But that was still some weeks away, and he would worry about that when the time came.

When Javier arrived with the dresses, there was a flurry of activity. Lisa Tao, Mike's wife, was beside herself. "I can't believe Javier just offered to make a dress for me! This is incredible!" she enthused.

"I'm waiting, too," Kelly replied. "This is better than Barbie dolls!" She laughed, and Lisa and Brenda joined in.

They were in Brenda's office (blinds closed) and when Javier breezed in with an assistant, they were immediately on their feet.

"Good morning, ladies! I have your gowns! Chief, we'll let you go first."

When Brenda emerged from the closet, there was a chorus of squeals. "That is gorgeous, Chief!" Kelly said. Brenda's gown was ice blue satin and strapless with a fold of white shantung across the bust. An ice blue belt with a round rhinestone buckle nipped in the waist and the hem was asymmetrical.

Lisa and Kelly clapped and Javier waved them off. "Who's next?" he said.

"You go, Lisa," Kelly said.

"O.K." Lisa Tao was a classically petite Asian beauty. Her shiny black hair was long and she often wore it in a single braid. When she came out, the applause resumed. Her dress was a peacock blue chiffon with a sweetheart neckline and a jeweled drop clip at the bust.

"Now that is just too beautiful," Brenda said. "Mike won't be able to say a word when he sees you in that."

"Come on now, Kelly. Let's get you dressed," Javier said, motioning to her. When they got in the closet, he said, "Got that bodyshaper?" Kelly held up the package. "Good girl. Now, you just get undressed and get that shaper on." Kelly felt self-conscious standing in a snug slip and her bra, but figured the discomfort would be worth it.

"Garter clips or a garter belt?" he asked.

"Garter belt, I think," she answered

"Allrighty then," he said. "Works for me. Take your bra off and let's get this dress fitted."

He unzipped the dress bag and removed the gown. He showed it to her.

She just stared at it. "That's gorgeous. I hope I can do it justice."

"Hush up, child. You are going to shine in this dress." He held the gown so she could step into it. He zipped the back and fastened the neck, adjusted the fall of the skirt and stepped back. "Girlfriend," he said, "When that Lieutenant sees you in this, I promise his eyes are gonna pop right out of his head. Now come look at yourself." He had brought along a portable, full-length mirror.

Kelly stepped in front of it. "Oh my Lord," she breathed. "This is..." her voice trailed off.

"Breathtaking? Unreal? Amazing? Oh yeah, it's all that," Javier said smugly.

Kelly turned and hugged him. "Thank you so much. I can't believe how lovely this is."

"Oh you. Go show the other girls," but he was clearly pleased.

Brenda and Lisa turned as Kelly came through the door. The dress was exquisite. The surplice neckline was edged in rhinestones and the skirt draped in soft folds to her feet.

"Well?" Kelly said.

Brenda grinned. "Andy is going to freak out – but in a good way. Javier, as always, you are the miracle man."

"That's how I roll, sweetheart," he said, much to their amusement. "As usual, the ladies in the Javier designs will steal the show. You know, I've offered to design a gown for Delk's wife, but…" he rolled his eyes. "She insists her taste is better than mine. As a result, she comes to this ball looking like L.A. trailer trash every year. And walks around like she's Miss Thang. She should be that lucky."

"Bad, huh?" Lisa said.

"Oh, honey. I know you saw her last year. She wore this pink nightmare that looked like something left over in the Wal-Mart candy section after Valentine's Day!"

At this, the women were laughing too hard to speak.

Kelly wiped her eyes. "You should go on Joan Rivers' show. She would appreciate you."

"Well, I do try," he said.

* * *

The dress fitting was just a brief, pleasant interlude. The next several days were hell in the murder room. Their own caseload handled, they were helping Robbery/Homicide and the intense heat, as it always did, increased the number of cases. Most of the cases were straightforward. It was just the quantity. Kelly and Andy had a few minutes in the morning to speak and exchange a kiss, but that was it. They were too busy and tired to do anything else. Kelly had only managed to squeeze in two tutoring sessions for Bridget. Ben brought her, since Andy was working, too.

Kelly had even been called in the day of the charity ball. Her hair appointment was at 2 and it was now 11:30 a.m. The little weasel in the interview room was stubbornly refusing to talk about anything. He hadn't asked for an attorney. He just wasn't saying anything at all. She had run all the backgrounds and such on him and saw him sitting in the interview room on the monitor. Andy was looking decidedly harried, too. This was his case.

"You've got a hair appointment this afternoon, don't you?" he said.

Kelly nodded. "Yeah, and if this little twirp makes me miss it, I am not going to be happy. I think he needs extra encouragement to go ahead and tell us he stole that car. And how ever many he's stolen. Come in here with me."

Andy wasn't sure what was up, but said "O.K.," and as they walked into the interview room, Kelly slammed the door.

The suspect jumped and she snapped, "Sit up straight, young man!" He did so, his eyes wide. Andy looked a little suspiciously at Kelly, but seated himself, got a fresh toothpick to chew on, leaned back in his chair and watched interestedly.

"Now then, young man," Kelly began, sounding for all the world like a third grade teacher, "I want to know how many cars you've stolen."

"None," he said.

"You'll use you manners and say 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am' to me, Mr. Carlson! You're not going to sit there and disrespect me!"

"Yes ma'am," he said.

Kelly stared holes through him for a moment, until he squirmed uncomfortably. "Mr. Carlson. When did you steal the blue Camaro?"

"I didn't steal it, um—ma'am," he said.

"Now that, sir, is a bald-faced, flat-footed lie and I know it. Don't lie to me, young man. You know you stole that car, I know you stole that car, and the Lord knows you stole it, because He saw you do it! Now you tell me right this minute when you stole that car!"

He just shook his head and slumped down in the chair.

"I told you to sit up straight! Now sit up and act like you've had some home training!" Kelly smacked the table and the kid flinched. "Lieutenant Flynn here said when he and Lieutenant Provenza picked you up, that you used profane and obscene language to them. Would you kiss your Mama with that mouth? You owe him an apology, young man. He's an officer of the law. Now apologize. Politely."

"I'm um, sorry…" his voice trailed off and he looked helplessly at Kelly, who had him virtually pinned to his chair under her gaze. "L-lieutenant," he finished weakly.

Andy nodded at him and fought to keep a straight face. This kid didn't know what he had walked into.

"All right Mr. Carlson. Tell me about that blue Camaro, and do it now. I don't have the time to piddle around with you in here. I need to go out and find people who are endangering the safety of others, not just acting like bad boys because they can hotwire a car! Now spill it, boy!"

The kid's eyes widened. He looked into Kelly's face. It was hard as stone. Her eyes were cold. He wasn't sure what she might do to him – or have that big guy do to him. He looked like he could inflict some serious damage. Andy picked up on the kid's train of thought, and ever so casually, cracked his knuckles.

"O.K.! I picked it up outside a McDonalds last night! I-I didn't hotwire it! It had the keys in it!"

"That's right, Mr. Carlson. And how many cars have you stolen?"

"I can't remember. Five, six, maybe."

"Indeed," Kelly said, her tone suddenly pleasant. Looked like she was going to make that hair appointment on time. "Now, Mr. Carlson, you'll be taken to Booking, where they'll complete the process. You'll be arraigned this afternoon and your bond set. Later days," she said and walked out the door. Andy grinned at the kid and left behind her.

"Well, that settles that," Kelly said. "Nasty little twit." She smiled at Andy. "That's two years as a substitute teacher for you."

"God, even the nuns didn't scare me like that in school!" he said. "All you needed was a black habit and a ruler!"

Kelly grinned evilly and said, "We could arrange that," and had the intense satisfaction of seeing Andy turn beet red. Victories like that were few and far between.

At the salon, Kelly watched as Trent looked carefully at her hair. "It's like baby hair," he said. "It's thin and fine and there isn't a whole lot of it."

"Tell me about it," she answered. "So what do we do?"

"So we use clip in extensions. They won't damage your hair and you can take them out yourself when you get home. Let me just match your color." He picked out a sample. "How about these soft waves?"

"I like them," Kelly said.

"Me too. Let's get them in and get that hair all gorgeous."

When he finished with the extensions, Kelly couldn't believe her reflection. So that's what having thick, luxuriant, wavy hair looked like. Amazing.

"Well?" Trent said.

"Trent, Javier was absolutely right. You _are_ the queen of hair extensions and my hair is truly fabulous. Thank you so much!"

He grinned. "You're welcome, honey. Now go put on that Javier gown and knock 'em dead at the charity ball."

* * *

Kelly rode to the gala with Fritz and Brenda. She had told Andy she wanted him to see her there, but not before. The valet parked the car, and they walked into the entryway of the ballroom. Kelly spotted Andy first. This was the first time she had seen him in his formal dress blues and he totally rocked that uniform. Sexy didn't even start to describe it. He looked about four inches taller and broader than usual and all male. Woof. Kelly angled herself so she stayed at his back, and then tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned and stopped still as he saw Kelly in that dress. Javier was right. His mouth did drop open and he did go a little pop-eyed. He took a breath. Kelly's hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, and her lipstick exactly matched the cherry-red gown, which skimmed over her body in soft folds. Wow.

"Well, aren't you going to speak?" she said with a grin.

He shook his head. "What's to say?" She turned so he could see the whole dress.

"What do you think?"

"Stunning." He took her hands. "No other woman in this place comes anywhere close to you." He offered her his arm. "Ready to go in?"

Kelly tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and nodded.

"Wait!" said Brenda. She had taken a small camera out of her clutch. "Let me get your picture! Stand right there." She took their picture and said, "I'll get Fritzie to e-mail you a copy." She showed Kelly a preview. Even on the tiny screen, Kelly could see that Andy was hotness personified. He took a great photo, no doubt. At least she had her hair and makeup looking right.

"Looks good, Brenda. Do get me a copy."

"Oh, I will."

The Grand Ballroom was decorated in blue and gold, and the caterers proved themselves worthy of their reputation. Food stations were everywhere. Brenda and Kelly sat together, comparing which sweets were the best, much to Fritz and Andy's amusement. There was the usual dancing and speech making, and when they finally left, Kelly's feet were aching, even with her lower heels.

Andy went by his place first and picked up some clothes, then they went to Kelly's house. As they got inside, Andy pulled her close for a kiss. "You really do look spectacular," he said.

"Thank you. And those dress blues work for you, too. I'm a sucker for a man in uniform. Especially when he looks as good in that uniform as you do."

He smiled a little roguishly at her, but it turned into a chuckle as she kicked her sandals off with a sigh of relief. "There's a reason I stopped wearing heels a long time ago," she said.

Andy took off his shoes, too, and said, "Yeah, these may look good, but they're not exactly comfortable, either." He unbuttoned his dress coat and hung it on a kitchen chair. He took the cufflinks off his shirt cuffs and put them in his coat pocket. He then loosened his tie and it took its place on the chair with his coat. "That's better," he said.

Kelly grinned and went to her bedroom. She was attempting to unfasten the catch at the neck of her dress, when she felt Andy's warm hands on hers. "I'll be glad to help you with that," he said.

"I'll bet you will. Been feeling a little deprived, have you?" What with their flurry of cases and staying worn out, their alone time had been severely curtailed the past three weeks.

"Like a monk," he said. He turned Kelly to kiss her and stroked the bare skin on her back, where her dress was cut out. He trailed that wonderful mouth down her neck and into the valley of her neckline. Her skin always smelled so good — like soap and that cologne that always reminded him of lilacs. "I've got to hand it to Javier. He knows how to make a dress." He continued to kiss every bit of exposed skin on her neck. "As good as it looks on you, I've been dying to take it off you all night." He moved to kiss her behind her ears, which made her catch her breath. "But maybe we don't have to wait for that," he said.

Kelly gave a low chuckle. "Not on your life, Lieutenant. You wouldn't believe the body armor I've got on under this thing."

"Is that so? Well, I guess it has to come off, then."

"Only if your shirt goes first." Kelly started unbuttoning Andy's shirt, kissing his chest as she went. When she slid it off his shoulders, his arms came around her again. He wanted to feel her body in that satin dress against his.

Between kisses, he said, "What do you call this material again?"

"Charmeuse," she answered.

"It's great." His hands came to rest at her back, where her zipper was. It came down easily, but all he found was the forbidding Lycra of the shaper she wore. "You weren't kidding about the body armor. Am I gonna need a can opener or something?"

Kelly laughed. "Not hardly. Since you're back there, why don't you get the clasp at the neck?"

He grinned wolfishly and undid the clasp. Kelly stepped back, shimmied a bit and the dress hit the floor.

Andy's mouth dropped open. "I never thought you wouldn't be wearing a bra," he said. "If I'd known that, you wouldn't have kept that dress on this long."

"Nah. You'd have just been trying to grope me before we left, that's all."

"So what is that thing?" he asked, looking at her slip.

"It's a half slip shaper. Keeps everything where it's supposed to be. And if you want me to take it off, you have to turn around, because there's no way I'm struggling out of this thing while you're watching me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Turn around, Lieutenant, or you're sleeping on the sofa."

"O.K., O.K.," he said and turned his back. Not that there was anything wrong with that. His back was as sexy as his front. As Kelly fought to get out of the slip, she thought once again that it just wasn't legal for one man to possess all the attributes that Andy Flynn had.

"Are you through, yet?"

Kelly ran both hands up his back. It was made to be massaged, and she had some oil in her nightstand. "Yeah, I am."

He turned and for the umpteenth time that night, his eyes popped. She wore a black lace garter belt and matching panties and black lace-top stockings.

"You weren't expecting this, were you, sugar?"

He shook his head slowly, willing his body to come under sufficient control long enough for him to get her on that bed. She solved part of the problem for him when she sat on the edge of the bed.

Kelly looked him over and with calculated evil, said, "Coming?"

"Any second now, you hellcat," he growled and started for the bed.

Kelly pushed his shoulder. "Those have got to come off, first," she said, indicating his trousers.

"Oh, for..." but the pants came off in short order and he was on the bed and on top of her. "Now how do I get this thing off?" he said as he tugged at her garter belt.

"You don't have to, unless you just want to."

"And why is that?"

"The panties are crotchless," Kelly whispered in his ear.

"And you were with me all night in those and no bra," he said. "Oh, you... You are so gonna pay for that."

"Lookin' forward to it, you sexy thing."

Andy's mouth claimed hers in total possession. He slipped his hand behind her head and held her close, so he could keep up the assault on her lips.

It never failed. All Andy had to do was touch Kelly and every inch of her body burned. She pressed herself to that big, male body. She'd never been in a man's arms where she felt small. In Andy's arms, next to his body, she did. And when they were skin to skin, like this, she wondered how she had lived this long without this man kissing her, touching her, making her scream.

As impractical as they might be most of the time, Andy _liked_ the concept of those crotchless panties. It certainly made things go a lot faster. His fingers went between her legs and touched her there. Kelly arched her back and moaned into his kiss.

"You are so ready for me," he said against her neck.

"Always am," she managed to gasp.

"And there you were, all ladylike, and I had no idea you weren't wearing a bra and had on your slut underwear," he continued, kissing her down her neck and grazing a nipple with his mouth.

"Whatever works, right?"

"It works, baby. It works."

Somehow, Andy had managed to rid himself of his shorts and Kelly could feel him, rubbing against her, just teasing her, knowing how much she wanted him inside of her. He could feel her hips, nudging his, asking for his body, wanting him deep inside herself.

"You know how it is," she panted. "You men want a lady on your arm, and a, oh, that is so good, babe." He had resumed his attention to her breasts.

"And a what?" He came back up to kiss that spot at the juncture of her neck and shoulders. "And a what?" he insisted, still teasing her, letting her feel him against her thighs, but not where she wanted him. So Kelly decided to demand it. She arched her hips, wrapped her legs with his, and gave him nowhere to go except where she wanted him to be. As he slid inside her, Kelly could feel his hands tighten on her arms. Bruises in the morning. She didn't care.

"Men want a what? Tell me or I'm not movin' a muscle," he rasped in her ear.

"You'll move, but it's like this. A lady on their arm and a," she arched her hips upward for emphasis, making Andy grunt, "A whore in their bed."

"Is that so?" he said, a little tickled, in spite of himself.

"Yeah."

Andy's movements were achingly slow. He knew he was tormenting her, but he was feeling the pressure, too. He was right where he wanted to be, and at his age, he should be able to muster a little more self-control. He kept up that slow rocking. Kelly's eyes were closed, as she focused intently on what she was feeling. His expert fingers teased her too, arousing her more, helping her, taking her higher. Her short fingernails couldn't do a lot to mark his skin, but he could feel them digging into his back as he moved.

"Come on baby. Come hard for me," he whispered to her. "Tell me how much you want it."

Although she was nearly past coherent speech, she said, "I want it Andy. I want you. Right now."

He moved faster and could feel Kelly respond in his arms. "Is this what you want?"

"Please, please."

"You are too good and too hot," she barely heard him say.

Finally, finally, he was giving her what she wanted and needed, and his movements were strong, deep, rapid and she could feel her back start to tighten, that curling, inevitable heat swirled through her and she climaxed, screaming his name, making him wince as she clawed his back and even bit his shoulder.

But feeling her orgasm and seeing her face was enough to send Andy over the edge and he collapsed temporarily in a heap on top of Kelly, only his forearms supporting him. But he rolled them to their sides, still inside her, and kissed her sweetly, deeply, gently, not willing to leave her body until physiology made it impossible to stay there.

She didn't know how long she lay in his arms, dozing. But when he kissed her again, and she could taste those ever-present mint toothpicks, and that taste that was only Andy, she opened her eyes to look into his warm, dark chocolate eyes that always seemed so deep, so inscrutable, until he smiled and they twinkled at her.

"Have I said I love you tonight?"

She shook her head.

"I do. That's one thing I've learned in AA and that's to tell people I love them. And I do love you." Just his voice was a caress. When he spoke from his heart, like this, the roughness left his voice, and a peace settled into his face.

"I love you, Andrew. With all my heart." They lay nestled together for a while longer, when Kelly raised up and stretched. "The slut undies are driving me nuts. I'll be back."

A low chuckle. "I'll be here."

That chuckle always made her crazy and she left, feeling a pleasant shiver. She returned wearing her tank and sleep shorts and carrying a towel. "I've got a treat for you. Turn over on your tummy," she said.

Andy raised one eyebrow at her, but turned over. Kelly spent a moment admiring him. Michaelangelo should have wished for Andy Flynn to model "David." The rear end, anyway. And the way his broad back tapered down to those narrow hips... She opened her nightstand drawer and took out the bottle of oil.

"What are you up to?" Andy asked, trying to crane his neck around to see her.

"You just lie still and relax. You've worked hard today." He could hear the amusement in her voice.

Kelly sat on the bed, took the bottle and poured some oil on to her palms. She rubbed them together to warm the oil and started rubbing it into his muscled back.

"What the...?" he began, before subsiding to, "Mmmmm" and a sigh. Kelly massaged his back until she found a knot. She worked it out and heard him say, "Ow."

"I'm sorry. Want me to stop?"

"No way. It's a good hurt. That knot's been there so long, sometimes I don't even think about it anymore."

Kelly continued massaging the knot until it finally gave way and the whole right side of his back relaxed. "You are so good at that," he murmured.

She smiled. She was enjoying doing this for Andy, but it wasn't exactly one-sided. Touching Andy had become one of her favorite hobbies and what could be better than massaging him? He carried a lot of tension in his lower back too, and as she rubbed in the oil, she pressed gently on his spine, next to his tailbone, and immediately, heard a crackling noise that went all the way up to his neck. It sounded like she opened a potato chip bag.

"What did you do?" he said sleepily.

"Just popped the base of your back and it went all the way up," Kelly answered.

"Yeah, I felt it."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Andy gave a short laugh. "Another one of those good hurts. Now, I'm just limp."

"Can you turn over so I can rub your feet?"

"A foot rub? I'll try." He heaved himself over on to his back.

Kelly sat with his feet in her lap and rubbed the oil in. He was ticklish on his feet, she found, after a light touch on his instep made him squirm. "Now I know your two tickle spots," she said, but she massaged his feet and toes. "You've got big feet, you know it?" she said.

"I wear a 12. Yeah," he said drowsily.

When she finished, she wiped her hands on the towel. Andy opened one eye. "Sweet thing, you are just too good to me," he said. "I promise I'll pay you back on that back rub."

"All right. How you feeling?"

He gave a deep, satisfied sigh. "Like a puddle of goo. I couldn't move if I wanted to."

"So now would be the perfect time for me to tie you to the bed," Kelly teased.

"Go ahead. See if I care. Beat me, spank me, call me Edna. Whatever. Ehh."

Kelly laughed at that statement and turned out the light. "Let me get the blanket over you. I know you get cold."

"Mm-hmm," was his answer as she lay down and pulled the blanket over them. He did manage to turn over so he could take Kelly in his arms again and cuddle her to his chest. "Good night, babe."

"Good night, sugar." She wanted to fall asleep in Andy's arms from now on.


	13. Chapter 13: Mama Told Me Not to Come

**A/N:** Yes, an update! I had some minor surgery which prevented me from doing much. Nothing serious, thank the Lord. However, with time off, I've found time to update! I split this chapter into two parts, so I could get an update posted. It's Halloween! Hope you enjoy! Thanks, as always, for the reviews, and please continue to R&R! More to come!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 13: Mama Told Me Not to Come**

Kelly got to the murder room especially early that Friday. It was Halloween and she had a real treat for Brenda. Andy came in with coffee, as usual, and kissed her.

"What's that under your desk?" he asked.

"Sharp-eyed as ever," she answered. "It's Brenda's Halloween present." Kelly took the gift from under her desk and Andy laughed out loud.

"You actually went and did it, didn't you?"

"I sure did. Isn't it cute?"

Still laughing, Andy inspected the gift. "Oh, it's great, but where did you find it?"

"You remember that arts and crafts fair I visited a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah."

"Well, one of the men there makes these out of old wooden drink boxes."

"Whattaya know?" Andy said, still chuckling.

The gift was an actual little red wagon. The wagon bed was indeed, made of an old wooden crate that once held Coca-Cola bottles. The craftsman had attached wooden wheels and a handle. He had refurbished the paint on the wagon box and it gleamed bright red. He had even, at Kelly's request, put a wooden railing around the top. She had filled it full of candy and snack cakes.

"You think she'll like it?" Kelly said.

"I think she'll love it. Did you get those, whatchamacall 'ems? Goo-Goos?"

"Oh yeah. The variety box." She extracted the candy and showed it to Andy. He had to admit the stuff looked pretty tasty. "And look! The large variety pack of Moon Pies, straight from Chattanooga, including the mint and peanut butter! I got a couple of extra peanut butter ones. They're sinful." She pulled open her desk drawer and produced a pack of the peanut butter variety. "Here. I'll split them with you. One each, which is really all you need." She handed Andy one of the snacks.

He nibbled it curiously and then a funny look crossed his face and he started chowing on the rest of it. "These are awesome! All you people do down there is think about food, isn't it?"

"Try a swig of coffee now. Cuts through the sweet."

He did. "Oh yeah. That's the stuff. But what are those others in the box?"

"Those are the original Moon Pies. They're kind of like Scooter Pies. I don't like them as well as I do the PB flavor. All that marshmallow gets to me after a while. Goo-Goos, now, are another story. Chocolate and caramel, pecans and a little marshmallow? Yum, yum. About one is all I can eat, though."

"So what else is in there?"

"Oh, I went to the Ghirardelli store and got some assorted chocolates, these gourmet cookies and brownies from that bakery she likes, and raided the Halloween candy aisle at Wal-Mart. Snickers, Milky Ways, Reese's cups, dark chocolate M&Ms, you name it. Also went to the bread store and got a couple of boxes of chocolate Zingers. And, the best of the best, I hit the Krispy Kreme on Crenshaw and snagged a dozen chocolate filled."

"You went to Krispy Kreme? Did you get – anything else?" Andy's voice was hopeful.

"Look on your desk, you doughnut hound," she answered.

He went and looked. "Six plain glazed, hot off the line! Babe, have I told you how much I love you?" He opened the box and devoured two immediately. "I'm sayin', you Southerners have an unhealthy obsession with sugar."

"Makes life worth livin' honey!" Kelly said.

"I needed to go to the gym more, anyway," he answered, finishing a third doughnut. He couldn't resist licking his fingers. Kelly laughed and pushed the wagon underneath her desk until Brenda arrived.

When Brenda did come in, looking flustered as usual, Kelly gave her time to put her purse on her desk and when she came back into the murder room, called her over. "Hey, Chief! C'mere!" she said.

The crew was looking on with interest as Kelly pulled the wagon out and said, "Happy Halloween, Chief."

Brenda squealed. "Looky there! It's a little red wagon! It's so _cute_! And what's in it?" Her eyes widened. "Oh, my Lord. I don't know if Fritzie's gonna kill me for having all this sugar, or you for giving it to me!"

"Look and see what all's in there, chief," Kelly said.

"Krispy Kremes! Moon Pies and Goo-Goos! Oh, you are too good to me. I don't remember the last time I had a for real Moon Pie. This is just so wonderful! I feel like I took a whirlwind trip home with all this good stuff! I'm just gonna open up a Goo-Goo and have myself a treat!" She started into her office with the wagon and turned. "Thank you, Kelly. Thank you so much. I can't tell you how I appreciate this." She went into her office and closed the door.

Provenza actually had his phone out and videoed the chief pulling her wagon of goodies into her office. "I'll cherish this. Brenda Leigh and her little red wagon," he chuckled.

"We won't get her out of there for a month," Andy said.

"Or until it's all gone," Tao agreed.

"So," Provenza said, "We're all meeting at O'Malley's tonight for the costume party, right?"

Kelly grimaced. "C'mon, Provenza. Can we just show up in our regular clothes? Isn't that scary enough?"

Provenza looked a little hurt. "Now, everybody's gonna be dressed up and there we'll be in our corner booth, with no costumes and we're gonna get a lot of funny looks."

Kelly shook her head. "Well, I don't know what in the world I'll do, then. If I can't think of anything, I'll just hang out at the house. I'm tired, anyway."

"Oh, you've got to come!" Provenza said. "Rumor has it _that woman_ is going to be there, dressed as a witch." He was referring, of course, to Sharon Raydor, Brenda's nemesis.

"So what kind of costume is that? I thought the whole idea was to wear a disguise," Andy cracked. "So, she should really come in what she wears to work. _That's_ the disguise!"

Kelly laughed out loud at that. Fortunately, her contact with that woman had been limited. "Andy, you're awful!"

He shrugged. "Just sayin'!"

A little while later, Kelly got a text. It was from Andy. It said, "Come to the party. Wear something from 'Happy Days.'"

She texted back, "You mean like the 50s?"

The answer came, "Yeah."

She looked over at him and he winked. O.K., she could probably handle that. She would have to look through her wardrobe and see what might be suitable, but she'd give it a shot. "I'll meet you there," she texted. He grinned.

* * *

Kelly looked through her closet. Naturally, most of her clothes were back home, but she had a couple of things. She had a sweater twinset she wore to church. That would work. Neither of her two skirts were appropriate, but… what about her navy capris? They were called pedal-pushers then, but girls wore them all the time. Kelly really wished she had a pair of penny loafers, but her white leather Keds and bobby socks would do. She put a few of the clip-in hair extensions she had from the gala in her hair, for a fuller ponytail, and tied a scarf over the elastic holder. She refreshed her makeup and lipstick and looked herself over. Well, she suggested the era, anyway, even if she wasn't in a poodle skirt.

Andy hadn't arrived when she got to O'Malley's, but the rest of the crew had, and she laughed when she saw them. Brenda was Cinderella and Fritz was Prince Charming. Well, that was appropriate. David wore a pinstripe suit and Fedora. He was obviously a G-man from the 20s. It looked good on him. Sanchez was a pimped out gangsta and Provenza was, Lord help him, a pirate. Eye patch and all. Tao was home, taking the kids to a Halloween carnival.

"Shiver me timbers! It's Kelly! Arrgh!" Provenza said.

"Lieutenant, that's your one 'Arrgh!'" Brenda said. "I can't stand listening to that all night!"

"O.K., Chief," Provenza said, extinguished.

"Hey guys! Ya'll look great!" Kelly said. "David, that G-man look? You're rockin' it!"

A pleased grin appeared on David's face. "Thanks, Kelly," he said.

"Sanchez, you're not sullen enough for a real gangsta, but you did it right. Provenza, well, that's about right for you, and Brenda, you make a lovely Cinderella. And Fritz, you are the stuff as Prince Charming!"

"So what are you?" asked Sanchez.

She shrugged. "Andy said go 50s. This is the best I could do on short notice."

"What's he doing?"

Kelly shook her head. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. I have no idea what's in that pointy little head."

"Nothin' good," Provenza said, with a subdued "Arrgh" for emphasis. "But you look the part. I can vouch for that personally."

Kelly laughed. "You all should have seen this guy at a party I went to in college. He was a can of Budweiser. One of the best costumes I've ever seen. Unreal."

They were all chuckling over Provenza's costume, including the stuffed parrot on his shoulder, when the door opened. It was Andy. This time, it was Kelly's turn to go pop-eyed and slack-jawed. After a moment, she glanced at Brenda, who had the same stunned look. In fact, every nearby female was staring at him. He wore a tight black T-shirt. Had to have been the same one he wore for the calendar. His faded jeans were as snug as good taste would allow, and fitted over a pair of black boots. He also had on a well-worn, leather jacket. He hadn't slicked his hair back, but he didn't really need to. Altogether, he looked as hot, as sexy and definitely as dangerous, as any 50s hood ever thought of being. And the man was authorized to carry a badge and a Glock. Did it get any better?

Kelly looked to Brenda and sang, "Leader of the Pack!"

Brenda nodded. "Oh yeah."

Andy took his jacket off and gave Kelly a wicked grin. "Hey guys," he said, sliding into the booth next to Kelly.

"Howdy," she answered.

"We match," he said.

"Not hardly," was her reply. "You're ten kinds of hot in that outfit. I'm just in odds and ends from my closet."

"You like it?" he said.

She faced him and whispered in his ear. "You want to leave right now and let me show you?" That got another devilish grin.

Andy ordered a cranberry and seltzer for himself and one for Kelly. He listened to the music and said, "You want to dance?"

"Sure. Sounds like the DJ is playing theme music tonight." The song was the old pop standard "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." It was a perfect song for slow dancing and as Kelly put her hand on Andy's shoulder and her arm around his waist, he pulled her close so her head fit nicely into the pocket of his shoulder. They swayed to the music and Kelly sighed, perfectly content to be exactly where she was. The music segued into Rod Stewart's rendition of "That Old Black Magic," and Andy swung her into the faster tempo of the song. When it was over, she was giggling like a kid, and Andy had a genuinely carefree grin on his face. As they went back to their seat, their friends clapped.

"You two must have been practicing!" Brenda said.

"We have, really," Kelly answered. "Andy was talking one night about how his mom loved big band music and you know my parents were older when they married, so they were in their teens in the 40s. I like it too, and we were actually watching an old movie and Andy said he wished people could still dance. I told him my Mama taught me to jitterbug and I'd be glad to teach him. So I did. If they play 'In the Mood,' we're all set." She laughed.

"That's so funny," Brenda said.

"In the Mood" never came up, but someone did request "Moonlight Serenade," however, and Andy and Kelly and even Fritz and Brenda, felt compelled to dance to that song. Kelly looked around. Provenza had finally convinced a waitress to dance with him and David had sweet-talked a girl in a devil costume into dancing. Sanchez was talking to a girl who walked by, dressed as a fairy. Who couldn't dance to this song?

As the song ended, they walked back across the dance floor and Kelly ran smack into a woman dressed as Elvira. It was Sharon Raydor. She had come with her squad to the party.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry," Kelly said, and then recognized her. "Oh, Captain Raydor! Sorry I ran into you. We were just dancing."

"That's all right, Detective. Nice to see you," she answered.

Sharon looked to see who that was with Kelly and nearly fell over when she saw Andy Flynn. Of course, she had also been on the panel to pick the calendar shots, so she had seen his, but seeing him in basically the same outfit, but in real, living color was something else again.

Andy was feeling as devilish as if he'd downed a bottle of champagne. He recognized the captain and winked roguishly at her. "Lookin' good, Sharon," he said.

Sharon later swore she felt that wink down to her toes. "You too, Andy," she managed. She turned to look to see Andy and Kelly sitting down very cozily together. Obviously, they were a couple.

Sharon Raydor had never been interested in Andy Flynn. Sexy, yeah. No denying it. But even when he was with Robbery/Homicide, he was still an obnoxious smart ass and a loose cannon with a nasty temper. Not her type. But seeing Detective Hargrove looking up at him like he was just wonderful bothered her, for some reason.

"Can't imagine that," she said, to no one in particular.

"What, Cap?" asked one of her lieutenants.

"Why any woman with any sense would want to date Lieutenant Andy Flynn."

The woman laughed. "From what I hear, since he's been seeing that chick from Alabama, he's the new and improved Andrew Flynn. Apparently, she's shaved his back and taught him to walk upright. I hear he's actually nice to people these days."

"Will wonders never cease?" Sharon replied. She went to sit with her crew on the other side of the bar.

The Major Crimes crew had drifted out of O'Malley's. Andy walked Kelly to her car and said, "Want me to follow you home?"

Kelly nodded. "Come on. Where did you get those jeans, anyway?" she asked.

He snickered. "They've been in the closet for a while."

"They're dangerous," Kelly replied.

"Don't I know it?" Andy said, rolling his eyes. "I stopped wearing them after I did an undercover op when I was with the Hollywood division. It was a gay pride parade, and we were working crowd control, you know, getting the drunks out, breaking up fights, that kind of thing."

"Yeah, so what happened?" Kelly had the feeling this was going to be good.

"All these drag queens kept pinchin' my ass and askin' me out."

Kelly fought to keep from howling at that statement.

"Go ahead. Laugh. I know you're dyin' to," Andy said. "But I'm tellin' you – I could not sit down the next morning! My butt was black and blue!"

At that, Kelly did laugh, but she said, "Well, having a bruised backside is no fun, for sure."

"Nope."

* * *

They were halfway through a pot of decaf and a movie at Kelly's when her cell rang. "Detective Hargrove," she said.

"Kelly, I'm guessin' Andy's there with you. We've got a body. Detective Gabriel will text you the address. I hate to call you, but we've got it to do, and you're on rotation."

"You've got it, Chief. Be there as quick as we can."

"A body?" Andy asked.

"Yep. Let me get dressed. Can't go to a murder scene in my nightshirt. David is texting the address, so keep an eye on my phone."

They arrived at the scene: what looked like an office building on Sunset Boulevard. Andy looked the place over. "Oh, God. I know what this place is," he said.

"What?" Kelly was puzzled.

"Luxor Films. Porno studio. We used to get called out here all the time to break up fights between the owners and a couple of directors. I thought the address sounded familiar. Godawful place."

"Sounds like it. Well, let's see what we've got."

They walked inside, where people were milling around, looking shocked, high, drunk and otherwise.

The second floor had been turned into a soundstage, of sorts, and as Kelly and Andy walked inside, they could see the forensics people working the murder scene. One of the techs handed them the requisite plastic shoe protectors and gloves. The victim was a male, hanging from a fixture. He wore a leather mask, a harness and boots.

"Jeez. One of those," Andy said.

"One what?" Kelly asked, still staring at the body.

"_In flagrante homicido_. Yay."

"I'll talk to the girls and you can talk to the director, then," Kelly said. She knew these places existed, of course, but had never seen one up close. Exploded meth labs, crack houses, illegal clubs selling bootleg booze, makeshift bordellos, yeah, but not this. Three girls were standing close by, wearing bathrobes, obviously shaken.

"I'm Detective Kelly Hargrove, LAPD," she said. "Can I ask you all a few questions? First, who is the victim?"

"Joe Leather," one of the girls said. "Well, his real name is Keith Ezell."

"O.K. How long ago did this happen?"

"Maybe 45 minutes ago. Why won't they take him down? It's freaking me out to see him up there," said another girl.

"Let's walk out into the hall," Kelly said. "Easier to concentrate. Now what happened, exactly?" She had her pen and notepad at the ready.

The first girl said, "Well, we were filming a scene and he's like, supposed to get, you know, excited, from hanging there. Only, he's supposed to be able to release himself and he wasn't able to! He's supposed to act like he's choking, yeah, but by the time we figured out what was going on, he was dead. The director said not to touch him and call 911. I thought we should have _tried_ to do CPR on him, but George, the director, said not to!"

"Holy cow," Kelly muttered. "So, he's supposed to be able to pull something or unlock something and it releases the rigging and frees his airway, right?"

"Yeah. Something must have happened to it."

"But none of you have anything to do with the rigging, or setting it up, or anything like that, correct?"

"Oh, no. We're actresses!" one of them said.

"I understand," Kelly answered. "Let me get your names. Your legal names, please, not your, um, stage names." This could have only happened on Halloween, she thought. In Hollywood.

Andy, meanwhile, had questioned the director. He and Kelly met back in the hallway. "The girls are clueless," Kelly said. "They don't know anything about it. Except that the director wouldn't let them cut the victim down to attempt CPR. Said not to touch anything and call 911."

"Whatta guy," Andy growled. "But I don't know that he had anything to do with it, either. This guy, Joe Leather, was apparently a real money maker for them. No reason to do it."

"Is it even murder, though?" Kelly said. "It could easily have been an accident. This is a pretty dangerous sort of, you know, activity."

"Yeah, have to see what forensics says when they get him down from there."

Kelly shuddered. "Of all the ways to die," she said.

"Tell me about it. Let's get the rest of these people interviewed so we can go home and get some sleep."


	14. Chapter 14: The Circle is Small

**A/N:** I know, two chapters in two days. The advantages of a little time off. Picks right up where Chapter 13 left off. Again, hope you enjoy it and don't forget to R&R!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Circle is Small**

Saturday morning found them in the murder room, checking backgrounds on the Luxor people on set the previous night. Andy returned from a Starbuck's run. "One tall, nonfat cappucino, extra shot, with sugar-free hazlenut syrup," he said, putting the cup on Kelly's desk.

"Thank you, sugar!" she replied. "Just what I needed: extra caffeine."

"Come up with anything?" he asked.

"Well, just this guy, Dakota Kerr," Kelly said, handing Andy a folder. "His personnel file says he's a grip. Isn't that someone who works with rigging on a set?"

"Yeah, it is." Andy looked at the file and laughed. "But these aren't exactly your standard photo ID shots."

"I noticed that. Those pictures look like he was auditioning for an on-camera part." One photo was a standard headshot. The others were considerably more explicit. Kelly shook her head. "So, a rigger who wanted to be on film, but maybe was blocked from achieving this goal by someone like Joe Leather? Motive?"

"Could be." He handed the folder back to Kelly and she continued to look at the man's background, when she came across an unfamiliar term.

"What is this?" she said to Andy. "You're the LA cop, not me."

"What?" asked Andy.

"The second page of Kerr's personnel file says he also works for Luxor in the capacity of a 'fluffer.' What in the sam hill is that? I guess that shows how woefully naïve I am, but Huntsville isn't exactly known for it's thriving porn industry." _Thank God_, she thought.

"He was a what? Gimme that." Andy looked over the file. "I missed that completely. Well, well."

"Andrew, what's a fluffer?"

He looked over at Kelly. "Oh. That." Andy was by no means a shrinking violet, but this was a little difficult. "Um, well, it's a person on a porn set who's responsible for making sure the male stars are, you know, ready to go, when the director calls 'Action.'"

Kelly got the picture immediately. "Umm, eeeww?" she said.

"Yeah, so when this guy says his job sucks..." Andy's voice trailed off and he grinned.

"YUCK! You pervert! That's awful!" Kelly yelled, and smacked Andy several times with the folder.

He raised his hands in defense. "Hey! Joke! Joke! Stop it, you crazy woman!"

Kelly shuddered. "That is the _nastiest_..." she muttered.

"I always seem to come in at the strangest times," Brenda said. "What's nasty?"

"This whole case, Chief. Guy killed on a porno set."

Brenda grimaced. "I hate cases dealing with those people. When they act normally, they're all right, but some of them have forgotten how, I think. Everything is just another porn scene to them. So what else?"

Andy outlined the details of the case, who they had interviewed, and the most interesting occupations of Dakota Kerr.

"A fluffer? What's that?" Brenda asked.

"Am I gonna have to explain this twice in one day?" Andy said.

"No, I'll tell her," said Kelly. She motioned the Chief over and whispered in her ear.

Brenda jerked her head back. "You are kidding me. Surely not!"

"Not according to the porn expert over there," Kelly motioned at Andy, who did have the grace to look indignant.

"I never said I was an expert! I'm just a guy! Guys just _know_ things!"

"Well, I wonder if Mr. Kerr's alternate 'job title' might contribute to a motive, if indeed, this turns out to be murder. Andy, you can interview this character. See if anything he tells you helps us. What do the forensics people say about Mr. Ezell's rigging?"

"Inconclusive. They said there's no obvious signs of tampering or anything like that," Kelly said, "But they're still checking it out."

Brenda shuddered. "What a way to go. Kelly, why don't we go talk to forensics while Andy interviews Mr. Kerr?"

"Suits me, Chief," Kelly answered.

Brenda nodded, went into her office and emerged with a Moon Pie. "Want one, Kelly?"

"No thanks," she answered, holding up her cappucino. "I'm good."

"I'll see what our fluffer has to say about the case," Andy said, chuckling at the simultaneous wrinkled noses he got from Kelly and Brenda.

* * *

"Do you know enough about how these work to tell if they've been tampered with?" Brenda asked the forensics tech.

He shrugged. "Well, technically, yes. Anything meant to hold weight and release should work about the same as any other rigging. The carabiner clasp is good, opens, closes, as it should. The straps connecting to the neck rigging release, as well. There are no obvious cuts, rasps or other evidence. But I don't know if a piece is missing or anything along those lines. I can tell you the cause of death was strangulation, but if it was caused by a malfunction in the rigging, or if the rigging was tampered with, well, I'll just keep looking."

The M.E. walked into the lab about that time. "Chief Johnson. Glad I caught you. I've got something for you on the Ezell case."

"Oh, good. What is it?"

"Well, the full tox screen won't be in for about a month, of course, but a preliminary scan for most of the common substances suggests Mr. Ezell had ingested a large dose of Xanax."

"A fatal dose?" Brenda asked.

"Probably not, but certainly enough to impair his judgment and reaction time, possibly causing him to delay releasing himself from his rigging."

"Can you tell if the Xanax was taken orally, or was given to him another way?" asked Kelly.

"His airway was damaged, obviously, so it's difficult to say if he was forced to take them, but no other evidence shows he took them in any other way but by mouth."

"About how long after he took them would they start to affect him?" said Kelly.

"About 45 minutes to an hour, depending on his metabolism," the M.E. answered.

"Thank you, doctor. That's very interesting," Brenda said.

As she and Kelly headed back toward the murder room, Brenda said, "So I wonder if Mr. Ezell even knew he was being given the Xanax?"

"Well, I know they're not big pills. Someone could have crushed them in his food, or a drink or something," Kelly answered. "Seems like, since Xanax is a tranquilizer, someone who needed to be ready for action, so to speak, wouldn't have wanted to take them voluntarily."

"I was thinking the same thing. So I wonder if Mr. Kerr had any access to Mr. Ezell's food last night."

"Let's ask some more questions, chief," Kelly said.

"Absolutely."

As they reached the murder room, Andy was busy tacking photos up on the white board and scribbling suspect names.

He glanced at them. "Kerr's in Interview One. I knocked on his door and the little bastard ran out the back. I had to chase him down. When I caught him, he took a swing at me. So I arrested him for eluding and assault." He continued writing. Every line in Andy's body said he was furious that he had to chase a suspect who then tried to fight with him.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Brenda said, chuckling inwardly. "Detective Hargrove and I will go see him in just a moment." She went into her office.

Kelly sidled up to Andy. "Settle down sugar," she said. She started scratching his back lightly, which she knew he loved, and which also tended to dissolve even nasty moods. It worked this time too, as he fought back a grin and squirmed away from her.

"Stop that. You know that drives me nuts."

"Puts you in a good mood, though," Kelly said with a snicker. She followed that statement up by goosing him in the ribs and went to put her purse down at her desk and wait for Brenda to call her for the interview.

She finally did and as they walked to the interview room, Brenda asked, "What was that with you scratching Andy's back?"

Kelly laughed. "Well, they do say men are pigs. And my daddy used to tell about how, when he would go feed the pigs, he would take a long stick with him, and he would use it to scratch the pigs' backs. It calmed them down and they ate better. They loved it. I figure, if it puts a pig in a good mood, try it with Andy. Works every time."

Brenda giggled. "I'll remember that, I promise. Fritzie likes it when I scratch his head. Must be the same sort of thing."

"Guess so."

"I'll start things off in here, but feel free to jump in anytime," Brenda said.

"All right, Chief."

Brenda opened the interview room door and dumped her file folders on the table. Dakota Kerr jumped, startled. "I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. I need to ask you a few questions, since you wouldn't talk to Lieutenant Flynn."

"He hit me," Kerr said, holding his face. Apparently, Andy had given him a dose of that brutal right. Kelly imagined it hurt a lot.

"Yes, well, things like that happen when you take swings at police officers who are just a teeny bit peeved they had to chase you down," Brenda replied, all too sweetly.

"I didn't do anything," he said.

"And if you had just taken a couple of minutes to tell that to the Lieutenant, then you might not be here in my interview room, with charges for evading and assault on a police officer, now would you?"

That didn't get a reply.

"So, Mr. Kerr. I understand you were working last night when Mr. Keith Ezell died. I notice here from your personnel file it says you have two occupations with Luxor Films. In which capacity were you working last night?"

He scowled. "Both," he said.

"I see. So did you have anything to do with Mr. Ezell's um, rigging apparatus?"

"Hell, no. Nobody touched that stuff but him. He rigged everything."

"All right. So, were you also in charge of being his, um, helper?" Brenda couldn't bring herself to say "fluffer." Made her a little nauseated. She stole a glance at Kelly. She was leaned back in her chair, fingers interlaced under her chin, staring holes through Dakota Kerr. Her face was as unreadable as the Sphynx. Brenda suspected that was for effect. But it worked.

"Yeah, you could say that," Kerr answered, with a sardonic grin at Brenda's word choice.

Kelly shifted her weight and her chair came forward. "Was it any more difficult than usual to keep the victim excited before the scenes last night?" Her voice had slipped into that cool, expressionless "interviewing the suspect" tone.

Kerr wrinkled his brow. "Yeah, maybe. How would you know anything about _that_, anyway?" His tone was insulting.

"It's consistent with the amount of Xanax in his blood. Would you know anything about how the Xanax got there?" Kelly kept her voice neutral. She had found it really bugged some suspects, and she was itching to put a serious freak-out on this little creep.

"I don't know what he does to get it up. I'm just in charge of keeping it up. And I'm good at it," he smirked, obviously looking for the shock effect. It almost worked. Brenda's eyes widened and she got that indignant look on her face. Kelly nudged her foot under the table. He wanted them agitated concerning his occupation. Kelly wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. Reluctantly, Brenda subsided.

"It's so nice to see someone who takes pride in his work," Brenda choked out sarcastically.

"Yeah," he answered, and looked over at Kelly, who was still just looking at him. "What's with you, chick? What're you doing, looking at me like that?"

"Classifying you," she replied, never breaking that nerve-rattling stare into his eyes.

In the electronics room, Buzz and Andy got a laugh out of that. "For real, that look will make your blood run cold," Andy said. "My Grandma Flynn could look at you that way. She called it 'the evil eye.' Put the fear of God into me, I'm telling you."

"I'll bet," Buzz answered.

"So, you wouldn't want Mr. Ezell to take anything that would impair his ability to perform for the camera. And since Xanax is a tranquilizer, which would certainly hamper that ability, it wouldn't be in your best interests for continued employment to give such a drug to him." That was Brenda.

It was almost a relief for Dakota Kerr to turn his attention to the petite blonde. Even so, he could feel that Kelly's gaze never left him. "Nah. Speed, maybe. Yeah, that would be a good thing. Or coke. But not Xanax."

"I saw your personnel file photos. I'd say you were also hoping for a career in front of the camera," Brenda continued. "But Mr. Ezell was the main star. He was the money maker. Didn't that bother you?"

"He's 15 years older than me. He's gonna age out and I'll be waiting. I'm only 23."

"Porn is a business for the young, Chief," Kelly said quietly.

"I see," Brenda said brightly.

"Chick, you are seriously freaking me out!" Kerr said to Kelly.

Again, never changing her tone, she replied. "I have a name and it isn't 'chick.' You may call me Detective Hargrove. I suggest that you do."

"How does she keep staring at him like that?" Buzz said.

"Practice," Andy replied. "She knows it works."

"It's like she doesn't even feel anything in there."

"Nah, she feels it. It just works better for her to hide it all. I mean, you can see how it messes with their heads." Buzz nodded his agreement.

"So, if you didn't provide Mr. Ezell with the Xanax, how did he get it? We know he was on set all evening," Brenda said.

"How the hell do I know? Those people around bring all kinds of crap in, legal and illegal. Maybe one of them gave it to him." Kerr was getting irritated and edgy, now.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Kerr?" Kelly asked. "Or a boyfriend? Or both? I know sexual orientation is a bit more fluid in the porn scene than in the vanilla world."

"Yeah, I've got a girlfriend."

"What's her name?" asked Brenda. "Does she work with you?"

"Yeah, I met her on set. She's a second lead. Mauda Barnes."

"Second lead?" Brenda said.

"Yeah. She's in the secondary scenes," he answered. "But she'll be a lead actress soon!"

"I'm sure she will," Brenda answered. "That will be all for now, Mr. Kerr. Thank you _so_ much for your cooperation! You'll be taken to Booking, but keep that thinking cap on! We may need to chat with you again!"

"Have a pleasant day," Kelly said, her gaze following him as the uniformed officer took him outside. When the door closed, she chuckled. "That messed him up," she said.

Brenda shook her head. "That whole stare thing is downright spooky. How do you do it?"

"I concentrate on a button on their collar or something. We used to do it in fifth grade. You know, see who could stare the longest without blinking? I got pretty good at it. Then I found out how uncomfortable it makes perps. Some of the really superstitious ones could take about two minutes of it and then just broke down. All the ladies in my department can do it. It's just a really effective tactic, especially with men. With women, a little less so," Kelly explained.

"Isn't that something? You know, Andy Flynn says you're psychic."

"Andy Flynn has a vivid imagination," Kelly said dryly.

"I'll just bet he does!" Brenda said, with a sly grin. Kelly returned the grin. In the electronics room, Buzz looked over at Andy with a smirk. Andy was shaking his head.

"Let's find that girlfriend," Brenda said. "Maybe she can tell us something." About that time, her cell rang. She answered it. "Oh, really?" she said. "Well, that is certainly very helpful!" She hung up. "Forensics found some brownies on the soundstage at Luxor. Guess what they were laced with?"

"Xanax?" Kelly said.

"Yep."

"So let's find Suzy Homemaker who bakes the 'special' brownies!"

"You and Andy go talk to the women you spoke with last night. Maybe one of them has an idea who our little domestic goddess is," Brenda said.

"Gotcha, Chief."

Mike Tao had come in, to see if he could lend a hand on the computer side of things. Brenda set him to looking for Mauda Barnes.

* * *

Andy's and Kelly's interview with one of the lead actresses proved fruitful. The shock was wearing off and Darlene Gould's tongue was loosened with a mid-afternoon margarita from her blender. "Yeah, Dakota Kerr's a real jerk," she said. "He thinks he's all that and should be a lead actor. He's got all these ideas about how scenes should be filmed." She rolled her eyes. "What does a fluffer know about how to film a porn scene? Really!"

"What about his girlfriend, Mauda Barnes?" Andy asked.

"Mauda?" The woman looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh yeah! Kari Glowz. Second lead. She thinks she's another Linda Lovelace. Always bitching about not getting a lead."

"Any particular reason why she's not being considered?" Kelly asked.

"She's a bitch to work with. Nobody likes her."

Well, that answered that. "O.K. Weird question. Does she ever bake?"

Darlene looked strangely at Kelly. "That is so like, bizarre you should ask! She brought brownies last night, to Keith. Said it was to make up for something she said last week. He ate like, five of them."

Andy and Kelly looked at each other. "That's very helpful, Ms. Gould. Thank you so much for your time," Kelly said. They stood and as they left, Kelly chuckled. "Well, it's not often we get a suspect gift-wrapped like that, but I'll take it."

"Me too," he answered.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Andrew. I saw you checking out that cheap blonde," Kelly said.

His look was all innocence. "I wasn't lookin'!" he protested.

"Bull," she answered. She didn't need to add the rest. Her tone made up for what she didn't say.

"I wasn't! For real!" he said.

Kelly shook her head. "I guess it's just natural," she replied.

"But... Oh, come on, babe! I'm sorry if you thought I was lookin' at her!"

"All right," Kelly said. The remainder of the drive back to the station was mostly silent. Kelly knew she was probably being silly, but the look on Andy's face had irked her. As they got out of the car, Kelly said, "Well, just remember this: I may not be the most well-endowed woman in the world, but at least with me, it's all real! No silicone additives here!" She started walking on ahead, to the parking deck elevator.

Andy grinned and shook his head. "I know it," he answered, catching up to her and putting his arms around her from behind. "Size is no big deal," he said. "There's enough here for a handful," and he cupped her breasts with his big hands. Kelly squirmed. What if someone saw them? He bent his lips to her her ear. "Or a mouthful, for that matter," he growled.

"You lecher!" Kelly said, but it was hard to resist that roguish grin. "We'll discuss this later," she said, wriggling free.

"I hope so," he answered. Kelly just shook her head.

As they walked to the murder room, Andy was hard put to keep up with Kelly's rapid stride, even with his longer legs. He wasn't sure if she was still pissed at him for looking at that blonde, or just irritated with him for groping her in the parking garage. Whatever.

They passed Brenda in the hall. Kelly rolled her eyes and went into the ladies' room. She looked at Andy. He just shrugged and headed for his desk. Brenda decided she needed to find out what was up.

"What's goin' on, Kelly?" she asked, as she went into the room.

"Oh, nothin'. Men are just PIGS! That's all." She came out of the stall and washed her hands.

"Tell me somethin' I don't know," Brenda replied.

Kelly chuckled. "Oh, I know it. I just had to say it."

"Everything O.K. with you and Andy?"

"It will be. I'm just aggravated with him right now."

Brenda laughed. "You know I love Andy to pieces, but if I were dating him, I'd stay aggravated with him all the time. You are so patient with him. You just think he's funny, not annoying as all get out."

Kelly laughed this time. "You're right. I need to remind him that not many women will put up with his foolishness for too long. But I have this disease called love. I love the big ox. I can't help it."

"I know it. If I didn't love Fritzie to distraction, I'd have pinched his fool head off by now. But, we have Mauda Barnes here! Would you mind if I got Andy in the room with me to question her? He does have an effect on women," Brenda said.

"Don't I know it?" Kelly said ruefully. "Go ahead. Darlene Gould told us she baked a batch of brownies and brought them to the vic last night. She's in this up to her armpits."

"Now _that's _helpful," Brenda said.

Kelly watched in the electronics room as Brenda and Andy interviewed Mauda Barnes.

Brenda was tired and wanted to spend some part of this Saturday with her husband. So she didn't hesitate. "Ms. Barnes, we know you brought a batch of brownies to the set last night. We know those brownies were laced with Xanax and that Keith Ezell ate enough of them to affect his performance. Why were you trying to kill him?"

"I wasn't!" Mauda said.

"Then what were you trying to do?" asked Andy. "Screw up his scene?"

"Yeah! He's such an ass, and gets all the parts! I knew if George thought he couldn't do the job, he might call Dakota in. So I thought I'd help things along."

"And instead, what you did, was delay his ability to act to release his rigging so he choked to death," Brenda said. "Our forensics team has determined his rigging hadn't been tampered with. So, he knew he was choking. He knew he needed to release the harness. But he couldn't come up with enough coordination to do it in time. And he died up there, hanging like a trussed turkey, because the fluffer's girlfriend was trying to help her boyfriend get a lead role! Does that sound about right?"

"I didn't want him to die!" Mauda yelled.

"Well, that's what happened, unfortunately. Lieutenant Flynn, read Ms. Barnes her rights. I'm arresting you for involuntary manslaughter. I only wish it could be murder one. Thank you," she said, turning to Andy. He cuffed the woman and led her out the door and to the waiting uniformed officer.

Brenda went to the electronics room.

"I told Andy this one was gift-wrapped," Kelly said. "But I didn't think she'd come right out and admit it."

"In this business, I've learned one thing: you never can tell," Brenda answered.

Kelly cleaned her desk just a bit before she went home. As she walked out, she ruffled Andy's hair, as she always did. "I'll call you," she said.

"Sure," he answered. Clearly, he had some amends to make. But, he could do that.

* * *

A while later, Kelly was to the point of dozing in a bubble bath. She really was tired. A late night and early morning had combined to wear her out. She had her iPod playing in the speaker dock and she was relaxing. She heard a noise and saw Andy standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Mind if I ask what you're doing here?" she said.

He grinned. "I brought dinner." He knelt down by the tub and kissed her. "Can I wash your back for you?" he said. "I'd join you, but that bathtub is just too small."

"I think I can do this myself," Kelly answered. "But I'll meet you in the kitchen in a couple of minutes, O.K.?"

Andy kissed her again. "O.K. But if you're not in there in two minutes, I'm coming in to get you," he teased.

"I'll be there. Scoot, all right?"

"All right," he said and went into the kitchen.

Kelly got out of the tub, reached for her towel and dried off, then found a nightshirt. She combed her hair into a damp skein down her back and padded into the kitchen. "Sorry, I don't exactly look glamorous," she said.

Andy turned to see her and gave her that devilish smile. "I don't care," he said. He came to her, took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, then nuzzled her neck. "You always smell so good," he said.

"Just old-fashioned Ivory Soap," she said.

"I like it. You don't wear that heavy perfume. You smell like a woman ought to smell."

Kelly smiled at him. "Good to know. I think _my_ nose tells me you brought Indian for dinner."

"Is that all right?"

"Sure."

After they ate, Andy produced another box. "Since you didn't get any of that chocolate for yourself yesterday, here's something for you."

Kelly opened the box. Inside were dark chocolate espresso brownies from Brenda's favorite bakery. The one time Kelly had splurged for two, they had been heavenly. They were fudgy, chewy, with a chocolate intensity that kicked like a mule. She looked adoringly at Andy. "Thank you so much. Now I just need some coffee."

He pointed to the coffeepot. "Didn't you notice it?" he asked. He'd made a fresh pot.

"Bless your heart," she said. "No, I didn't see it. Thank you again."

She stood, but Andy said, "Nope. You go sit on the sofa. I'll bring it to you."

"All right," Kelly said. She wondered what all this was about, but wasn't complaining. She obediently went to the sofa.

He appeared a couple of minutes later with two mugs of coffee and a saucer with a brownie on it, accompanied by a scoop of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

"Here you go," he said.

Kelly took the mug, saucer and spoon. "Thank you, sugar. What are you up to?"

His expression was a little sheepish. "Making amends," he said.

She grinned. "I like your style. Want a bite?"

He held up a spoon. "I was hoping you'd offer."

She patted the sofa. "Come on," she said. She took a bite, closed her eyes and shook her head. "This stuff is sin on a plate."

He chuckled. "I like chocolate, but what is that thing you women have with it?"

"I don't know. It's just wonderful."

He laughed and they finished the brownie and ice cream. "Look here," Andy said and Kelly turned to him. He brought her close and started by licking her chin. "Little chocolate sauce there," he murmured before kissing her.

If Andy was good, coffee and chocolate-flavored Andy was a whole new plane of existence, Kelly thought, as he continued that slow, sweet kiss. If they could put what he did to her in a bottle, it would be more popular than Ecstasy. And just as illegal.

Andy slipped those strong arms around Kelly and she stroked that soft, thick hair, down to the nape of his neck, touching his face, feeling the slight roughness of his beard, even though the smoother skin told her he had shaved before he came over. She was sitting across his lap and as he cradled her in his arms, she could feel him start to stand.

"Don't do that, babe. I can walk. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I am carrying you to that bedroom, woman. I am not gonna throw my back out. You just hang on."

"Andy, this is not a good idea."

"Would you stop worrying?" He stood and as much as Kelly expected him to sit right back down, he shifted his arms and said, "See?" He walked, albeit slowly, to her bedroom, kissing her the whole way. Kelly was expecting disaster the entire time, but he made it to her bed and put her down on it. She sighed in relief. Nothing to ruin a romantic evening like a guy dropping his girlfriend and hurting himself.

He pulled his shirt off. "Not as decrepit as you thought I was, am I?" he said.

"I never thought you were decrepit. I just know how much I weigh," she answered.

"You're beautiful," was his answer, as his jeans came off. He lay down next to her and she rubbed that mat of hair on his chest. She couldn't think of a single part of his body she didn't love.

"You're the only man who's ever made me feel beautiful," she said.

"Now that's a crime," he answered, taking her hand and pulling her close for another of his wonderful kisses. He pulled her nightshirt over her head. "You just let me love you," he said. She nodded and he trailed his lips down her neck, pausing in the hollow to kiss it, then continuing to her breasts, where he spent a fair amount of time letting her know that her natural assets were sexier to him than any bimbo's silicone add-ons.

He started down across her belly, touching her, stroking her, when his mouth replaced his hands and Kelly knew she had to be about to catch fire with longing and heat. Andy just loved women and he loved pleasing them in any way he could, so unlike some men, he enjoyed this. He loved how it made his woman feel. Kelly cried out her climax and he kissed his way back up her body to fold her into his arms. "You are my beautiful, sexy woman, and I love you," he whispered to her.

She nestled into his chest, against that body that made her feel so small. "I love you, too," she said. She could feel him pulling the blanket over them both. "What about you?" Don't you want something out of this?" she said.

She felt the rumble of laughter in his chest. "We've got all night long. I'm not in a hurry. Are you?"

"Not a bit."

"Then go to sleep."

Kelly sighed in deep satisfaction and turned over on her stomach. Andy rubbed her back until her even breathing told him she was asleep. Resting his arm across her back, he slept, too.


	15. Chapter 15: Storm Front

**A/N:** This picks up about two weeks after Chapter 14 and life turns a little dark. Hope you're still enjoying the story. Please R&R!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

Monday morning dawned quietly in the murder room, and the squad was drinking first cups of coffee, or tea. Brenda was in her office, catching up on the never-ending paperwork. A uniformed officer knocked on her door, accompanied by Will Pope. They went inside, and after a couple of minutes, it was evident something big had come up, and not in a good way. Brenda stood up at her desk and was obviously angry. The thick glass obscured the words, but it was evident voices were being raised in the room.

"Uh-oh," Provenza said. "This is not good. When Pope is in her office and they're yelling, it's all about to hit the fan."

At that, everyone in the room sank in their chairs a bit lower and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. Then, the door to Brenda's office opened. "Lieutenant Flynn, can you come in here, please?" she asked, voice strained.

Andy and Kelly looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure, Chief," he said, and went into the office. The door shut again. This time, Kelly was paying careful attention to what was going on.

"What the hell is that all about?" Provenza asked.

"Search me," Kelly answered. "Neither of us had to work this weekend, so I have no idea."

Suddenly, the metal blinds on the windows in the office jumped as Andy slammed his hand on the glass. Kelly's eyes widened. He was furious. Clearly, this was a serious situation, but Kelly couldn't think of anything that might have provoked it. The door opened and Pope, the officer and Andy started out of the office. Andy met Kelly's anxious eyes and dropped his head. They left the murder room. An eerie silence had fallen. Brenda, obviously shaken and still angry, stood in the doorway. She motioned to Kelly. "Can you come in?" she asked.

Kelly nodded and walked into Brenda's office. Brenda shut the door and sat down next to her. "What's going on, Brenda?"

"Andy's been arrested," she answered.

"_Arrested_! For what?" Kelly was stunned.

"Rape."

Kelly couldn't even speak for a moment. "Rape?" she said, very quietly. "Andy? Against who?"

"A 17-year-old girl named Jenna Lessing."

"No way," Kelly said. "There is no way." She had gone from stunned to shocked to her very bones.

"I know. Now, you know I don't believe any of this, but we've got to get to the truth. Andy said she was over at his place Friday night with his daughter, and you were there, too. Please, tell me what happened."

"Nothing that I know of. Bridget's birthday was yesterday. So Andy wanted to do something for her on Saturday and she was at her mom's on Sunday. Anyway, he said for her to come over Friday night, and he would spring for a movie, and then would take her shopping Saturday. You know, spend time with her, take her out to eat. Dad and daughter stuff."

Brenda nodded. "All right. Then what?"

"Well, she wanted to bring a friend, and of course, Andy said that was fine. Then, he calls me after work Friday and asks me if I can come over and spend the night. I knew Bridget was going to be there, so I thought this was a really weird thing, because Bridget hates the idea of Andy dating anyone, so she's not fond of me. I said I would, and when I got there, I asked him what was up. He said the friend that Bridget was bringing creeped him out."

"Creeped him out, how?" Brenda asked.

"That's what I asked him. He said she was always really provocative around him and it gave him the creeps. So he wanted me to be around, you know, like a chaperone, another adult, extra pair of eyes, that sort of thing. He said he was almost certain Jenna had been abused, probably molested, because of the way she acts around him and other men. He said he'd asked Bridget, but she said she didn't know."

"Well, possibly," Brenda answered. "But she might just have promised not to tell anyone."

"That's what I was thinking. And you know, when we've been in this business as long as we have, we just kind of get to know the signs, and if this girl made Andy, of all people, that uncomfortable, I wasn't about to leave her alone with him."

"I don't blame you. Then what happened?"

"Well, Jenna drives, and they went to the late movie, got in about 11:30 or so, and we were both up. Then, they went back to the kids' bedroom and there was the usual giggling and carrying on, and as far as I could tell, they were in bed by about one. We'd agreed we wouldn't sleep in the same bed with the kids in the house, so he took the sofa and I slept in his room. I don't usually sleep well away from home, and I woke up about 2:30 or so. I went into the den and Andy had fallen asleep with the TV on. So I turned it off and he roused, asked me if everything was O.K. I said it was and he dozed back off. So I got a drink of water and went back to bed. I left the bedroom door open, just because I knew Andy wasn't thrilled about having this girl overnight."

"Do you remember hearing anything or seeing anything?" Brenda asked.

"I woke up, maybe about four or so, and thought I heard voices. So I sat up in bed and listened. I didn't hear anything suspicious and saw someone come down the hall. I thought it was Bridget. She and Jenna are about the same size, and it was dark. I got up and peeked out into the den. Andy was up and I asked him if everything was all right. He said yeah, so I went back to bed. The next morning, we all went out to breakfast and everything seemed fine. I ended up going shopping with them, and again, everything seemed O.K. They left about 4 or so and went to Sheila's. As far as I know, Sheila didn't call Andy about anything being wrong on Sunday. What's Jenna's story?"

"I'll tell you, but first, do you remember what Andy had on that night?"

"You mean, what he slept in?" Kelly thought a moment. "T-shirt and sweatpants. He's always really careful about that when Bridget's there. You know, never walks around in his underwear or anything."

"That's what I figured," Brenda said. "Well, what this girl said was, she got up in the night to get some water or whatever, and Andy was in the den. He called her over to the sofa, and they started talking. She says he started groping her and she tried to scream, but he covered her mouth and just had his way with her. Trouble is, he's a big man, and that's well within his physical ability."

"Yeah, but…" Kelly's voice trailed off and her eyes filled with tears. "I cannot believe that little tramp said that about Andy. I mean, he's right. She is really out there in her behavior around men, him in particular. It's really sad how she acts, but to accuse Andy of something like that!" Brenda handed Kelly a tissue and she wiped her nose. "You know what happened, don't you? She got up, tried to start something, and he told her no. She couldn't handle it, so now she's yelling rape. She surely didn't act like a rape victim on Saturday. But you know, now that I think about it, Andy was acting a little strange. He was really making an effort to stay out of arm's reach of her. He would walk on the other side of me, stand back from her, that sort of thing. At the time, I think I just chalked it up to him being really cautious around her, but it makes sense in light of this."

Kelly started to cry again and Brenda hugged her. "We're going to get him out of this. I told Pope I wanted the best people handling this. Everybody knows Andy and likes him. And God help us, but we're going to have to deal with Internal Affairs and that woman, but we're going to make sure this goes away and his name is cleared. You have my word on that, Kelly. But the LAPD will provide a lawyer for him, and I'm requesting Tom Blanchard. He's a complete slimeball and normally, I'd rather chew glass than have anything to do with him, but when a case is this dirty, he's the only one to handle it. He loves it like a pig loves slop. We are gonna take care of this, you hear me?"

Kelly nodded.

"O.K., hon. Now you take the rest of the day off. I know you're gonna be tore up all day, and they're going to arraign Andy about 11 and set his bond. I know you'll want to be there. When he makes bail, get him out of here. I know what his temper is like, and he needs to be at home with you, where he can boil over with no one to see. I hate this so bad for both of you, but we will take care of Andy. All right?"

"All right, Brenda. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go fix your face and be there for the arraignment. I'll be there, too. Andy needs to know we're standing with him on this one." Brenda's phone rang. She answered it and after a moment said, "Send him up." She hung up. "Blanchard's here, so you might as well meet him and tell him everything now. But let me tell the rest of the crew, first. I know they're on pins and needles out there."

Kelly said, "I'll stay in here."

"I understand." Brenda walked out into the murder room and brought the crew up to speed. "Now people, we cannot interfere with this investigation. I know we all want to, but we've got to keep our noses out of it. Officially, anyway. Unofficially, if there's anything we can do, we will. None of us believes this, and I think we all know it smells like a dead rat. So we're going to do what we can, as we can. Thank you." She went back to her office and a thought occurred to her. "Do you know how to get ahold of Andy's sponsor?"

"Jake? Yeah."

"Call him and see if he can be here for the arraignment. Andy will probably need him. This is the kind of thing that causes relapses."

"I'll call him."

A soft knock sounded. Brenda looked up. It was Provenza.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" she said.

"Just wanted to speak to Kelly, Chief." He knelt beside her chair. "Kelly, you know none of us believes a word of this about Andy."

"I know you don't," she said softly. "He's your friend."

"That's right. And I've known Andy Flynn about as long as I've known anybody in the LAPD. He's a smart ass, has a nasty temper and stubborn as a mule. But, he's no rapist. So don't you worry. We're gonna be here for both of you."

"Thank you, Provenza. I appreciate it more than you know," Kelly said, taking his hand. He hugged Kelly and left the room. "Brenda, got any Tylenol? You wouldn't believe the headache I've got."

Brenda dug in her desk drawer and handed Kelly the medication and a bottle of water. "I can only imagine," she said.

Another knock on the door. This time, it was a uniform and a dapper little man Kelly knew had to be Tom Blanchard.

Brenda opened the door. "Come in, Mr. Blanchard. Thank you for agreeing to help Lieutenant Flynn. This is Detective Kelly Hargrove. She and Lieutenant Flynn are seeing each other and she was at his home on Friday night, when the alleged incident occurred."

"Lovely to see you again, Chief Johnson. Thank you for calling me. Nice to meet you, Detective. I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances. However, I am thrilled to know there was another adult at the home. I've spoken with Andy. He gave me the bones of the situation. Perhaps you can flesh them out a bit, Detective."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Blanchard." She told the attorney what she told Brenda.

When she finished, he sat a moment, fingers steepled. "It agrees with every point of the Lieutenant's version of events, but in no way sounds pre-rehearsed. This is good. I've found out something very interesting about Jenna Lessing. She lives with her sister, who is quite a bit older. The sister is the legal guardian. With both parents still living, this is not a common arrangement. Now, I need to find out how and why the guardianship was granted. It may well match up with your molestation theory, Detective. If so, then we can have her evaluated by a psychiatrist. I will also want to see her school records. If she's done this to Andy, she's probably done it to someone else, and someone at school is an ideal target."

"In other words, we want to ruin her credibility," Brenda said.

"That sounds harsh," Blanchard replied, "But in essence, yes. Our aim is to show that Andy is the victim, not Miss Lessing. And I believe that is exactly what is happening here. I've taken on a good many cases like this. Once the girl's credibility is ruined, we can almost always get her to drop the charges."

"So you believe Andy. And me?"

Blanchard smiled. "The defense attorney always believes his clients," he said. "But in this case, yes, I believe you are both telling the truth, and that the facts correspond to your truth. Teen girls can be vicious adversaries, as we all know, and often act without regard for the ultimate consequences. They don't think about how many lives their actions can ruin. They only think of immediate revenge."

"What did Andy say?" Brenda asked.

"Almost exactly what Detective Hargrove surmised. The girl went to him in the night, attempted to seduce him and of course, he said no. She apparently does not handle rejection well, and now here we are."

"He never said a word to me, but I'm not really surprised. That would have freaked him out, and he didn't want to worry me," Kelly said.

"Understandably so. However, the arraignment is in half an hour. I need to see my client. We will be seeing each other, Detective Hargrove."

"Call me Kelly. I'll be there for the hearing."

"Absolutely. See you there."

* * *

Kelly and Brenda sat in the courtroom, waiting for Andy's case number to be called. The doors opened in the back, and in trooped Provenza, Sanchez, Gabriel and Tao. "We left Buzz minding the store," Provenza said, sitting beside Kelly.

"Thanks," she said, and patted his hand.

Andy and Blanchard walked into the courtroom from a side door. Blanchard nudged Andy and nodded to where the Major Crimes squad was sitting. He looked over and saw his partners - and Kelly. She held up her hand in the universal sign language gesture for "I love you" and smiled. She believed him. It hurt, but still gave him fresh courage.

The bailiff entered the courtroom and called the case number. "The People versus Andrew Flynn, one count of rape in the first degree."

"How does your client plead, Mr. Blanchard?" the judge asked.

"Not guilty, Your Honor," Blanchard answered.

"Have the people considered a bail request?"

The assistant DA sighed. He hated cases against cops. "The people request $25,000 bail, and that the defendant surrender his service weapon and badge."

"That sounds reasonable," said the judge. "Any objections, Mr. Blanchard?"

"None, Your Honor. My client has already surrendered the aforementioned to his supervisor, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson."

"So ordered," the judge said and banged the gavel. "Next case, bailiff."

An LAPD bondsman was already standing by with the required bond amount and had it paid almost before Andy was out of the courtroom.

Blanchard waited with his client as the MC crew gathered around him, expressing their support. "All right, people," he said. "Any case with a police officer is high-profile. You know that. Do not speak to the press. Do not even say 'no comment.' Please work with me on this. Chief Pope and I will do any speaking necessary. I do not care how provoked you are. Do NOT say a word. Keep walking. If anyone calls you, hang up immediately, without a word. This is the best way to help your friend. Are we clear on this?"

There were nods all around. "All right then. I know we will get this taken care of in short order. Andy, I have some motions to file. I'll be in touch."

He nodded. "Thanks, Blanchard."

Kelly went to Andy and took his hand. "I know what happened and what didn't happen Friday night. Let's go home before the press shows up."

"O.K.," he said, very quietly. "See you guys."

Brenda stopped Kelly. "Call me if you need me, and I mean it," she said.

"Will do. Thanks, Chief."

As they walked down the corridor, Kelly slipped her arm around Andy's waist, under his coat. He put his arm around her shoulders. The small gesture was not lost on a single member of the squad.

* * *

The ride to Andy's place was mostly silent. "Jake is coming over later," Kelly said.

"Thanks for calling him," Andy replied. And that was mostly all that was said.

"Provenza and Sanchez are bringing your car this evening," she told him as they pulled into the driveway.

As they walked inside, Kelly said, "Why don't you go change your clothes?"

"Yeah," he answered and went to his bedroom. He wasn't saying much, and that actually worried Kelly, who sat on the sofa. She was used to Andy being vocal about almost everything that bothered him. But this silence was troubling. She supposed he was too deeply disturbed to say a great deal. When he came out in a T-shirt and cargo shorts, she held out her hands. "Come here, sugar," she said. He sat down and she folded him in her arms. She buried her face in that wonderfully soft, thick hair and said, "Baby, I am so sorry. I wish I had told you to sleep in your bedroom with the door locked and deadbolted."

"It's not your fault, Kelly. I should have told Bridget she had to find another friend to have over, but I never thought in a million years this would happen – especially with you here! I was trying to do the right thing!" His voice was desperate and sounded thick with unshed tears.

"It's not your fault either, sweetheart. How can you predict this kind of thing? You can't. And as for that little tramp, what I said about a locked door? Well, she'd have probably tried to pick the lock. No telling what someone like that will do."

"Oh God, what will Bridget think? She's gonna think her dad is a molester."

"No, she won't. She'll kick that little piece of baggage to the curb and she'll stand with you. You wait and see."

"Even if she does, Sheila will probably never let me within a mile of her again. Not after this."

Kelly shook her head. "Honey, she knows you. For all the issues you two have had, she knows you're not a rapist. And you told me she had her reservations about Bridget hanging out with Jenna, so there you go."

"Yeah, I know, but an actual rape charge tends to change the way people feel about things."

"Tell you what. You go lie down and close your eyes for a few minutes. I know you're mentally and emotionally exhausted. I'm holding down the fort and I'll take care of the phone, all right? Go on," she said.

"Maybe you're right." He rose and went into the bedroom. Kelly went behind him and closed the curtains. She brought a cool, moist cloth and put it on his forehead.

"I know your head is pounding like mine is," she said.

"Thanks, babe."

She kissed him. "Don't mention it."

Andy's cell rang and Kelly answered it. "Lieutenant Flynn's line."

"Kelly? This is Sheila Hartford. I'm Bridget's mom."

"Hi Sheila," Kelly answered.

"I just heard. Provenza called me. I can't believe this. Andy has his faults, God knows, but he would never do anything like that."

"I told him that's what you'd say. No, I think there's a lot going on we don't know about yet. But we'll find out."

"If you don't mind, can you tell me what happened?"

"I don't mind," Kelly said. "I think you need to know." She told her story and when she finished, she heard Sheila clicking her tongue.

"I've known that girl was trouble. Nothing overt, you understand, but something bothered me. I've never seen her around Andy, though. Cat in heat, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty bad."

"Where is Andy? I'd like to talk to him."

"Well, he's lying down. You can figure he had a brutal headache, so I sent him to take a nap. But I will absolutely tell him to call you, for sure."

"A bad headache? Oh, no. Andy sometimes has terrible migraines. Did you know?"

"I had no idea."

"Yeah. That's kind of what made his drinking worse. Extreme stress can trigger them. As he's gotten older, they've gotten better, but he got one last year that put him in bed for three days. Provenza and I were alternating shifts. He could hardly walk. He has prescriptions for Imitrex and Topamax. Would you mind getting them filled?"

"Not at all, Sheila. I'll be glad to."

"Check his kitchen first, and see if he has any of the Imitrex nasal spray left. If he does, make him take a dose when he wakes up." She paused. "You know, I couldn't live with him again, but really, I still love Andy, and I always will."

"I know you do, Sheila. I just appreciate you calling and talking to me. Right now, he needs to know the people he cares about are standing with him, and he cares about you. This will mean the world to him," Kelly said, speaking from her heart.

"You're a nice lady, Kelly. I can tell you love him. I'm glad he's found someone who does."

"Thanks, Sheila. And I'll tell him you called. I'm gonna go look for that Imitrex."

"All right. Take care."

"You too." Kelly hung up and immediately went in search of that Imitrex. She found it and left it on the kitchen counter. She started looking for what he might have in the house to cook. Not much. Apparently, he hadn't been to the grocery store lately. Maybe she could persuade him to come back to her place. That might be the thing to do, anyway.

She heard Andy stirring. She went into his room, carrying the Imitrex. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.

"Are you hurting, baby?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Like hell."

"Here." She handed him the medication and he looked at her uncomprehendingly.

"Sheila called and told me about your migraines. Now take it."

He did and grimaced. "I feel terrible."

"I know, sugar. Let me wet that cloth again and you lie back down and give that stuff a chance to work. I'm going to get some things together for you. You're coming to my house to stay for a few days. Throw the press off the scent. I'm not taking no for an answer, so don't argue." She left and came back with the cloth, again wet and cool. She laid it gently over his eyes. "I'm gonna take care of you, honey."

Her movements were quiet as she packed some clothing for Andy, and got his shaving kit together.

* * *

Kelly was dozing on the sofa when Andy's phone rang again. "Lieutenant Flynn's line," she said.

"Can I talk to my dad?" It was Bridget, but she sounded nowhere near as confrontational as she usually did.

"He has a terrible migraine and he's lying down, but I'll go ask him if he feels like talking," Kelly answered.

"No, if he's got a headache, I know he doesn't feel like being on the phone. Would you tell him I called?"

"I surely will, Bridget."

"Thanks. And, um, Mom, well, she like, said you're taking really good care of Dad. I wanted to well, thank you for it. And for believing him."

"You're welcome, Bridget. Of course, I believe him. I'd believe him even if I hadn't been here Friday night."

The girl cleared her throat. She was obviously uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, I think you need to get Lieutenant Tao to look at Jenna's Facebook page. She's got some really twisted stuff on there. I wish I'd never met her! She's ruined my dad's life!" She started to cry, and Kelly's heart hurt for her.

"Bridget, hon. I know how angry you are, but we're going to take care of your dad. Chief Johnson is working like a madwoman to get this taken care of. I promise we'll expose this chick for the liar she is. Brenda Leigh Johnson is a bloodhound and she's gonna get to the bottom of this. I promise she will."

"O.K.," she sniffled.

Andy had gotten up and came into the den. At his inquiring look, Kelly whispered, "It's Bridget. You want the phone?" He nodded.

"Your dad's up and he wants to talk to you. Here he is." She handed the phone to Andy.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said. "Yeah, I'm a little better. Kelly found my Imitrex. Yeah, I'll be O.K. I'm going to Kelly's place to avoid the press, but I'll have my cell with me." A long pause. Kelly could see a small smile on Andy's face. "Yeah, she is nice, isn't she? I love you, too, hon." He hung up.

Kelly went to sit beside him on the sofa. "Can I say 'I told you so?'" she teased gently.

"Yeah, and I'm glad to hear you say it. I was afraid I'd lost her."

"Little girls are harder to lose than you think. As tetchy as she can be, she loves you. Maybe she didn't realize just how much until somebody attacked her daddy. And little girls are awfully protective of their daddies."

"You sound like the voice of experience."

Kelly smiled. "I am. I was very close to my dad."

* * *

Kelly handed Andy the remote to her television. "Be a couch potato for a while," she said, kissing the top of his head. "Watch a ball game or something."

"Thanks for cooking."

"Don't mention it." She rambled around in the kitchen, looking for ideas. Well, vegetable soup was always popular, so she started chopping onions and garlic and sautéing them in the soup pot. Add some vegetable broth and beef bouillon powder, a can of tomatoes and one of mixed vegetables, oregano and some spicy V-8, and something resembling soup was shortly simmering away. More digging in the freezer and a bag of veggie "ground beef" crumbles appeared and also went into the pot. She even found a loaf of frozen garlic bread, no doubt once intended for spaghetti, but it would do just fine now. She glanced at the calendar. It was November and she should probably start clearing stuff out anyway. She would be in L.A. for Thanksgiving, but home by Christmas. While her heart yearned for home and the clear blue skies of Alabama, something else in there tugged at her, reminding her how much it was going to hurt to leave. Well, like Scarlett, she just wouldn't think of that now. She'd think about it later, when she could stand it.

A delicious smell started drifting from the kitchen. Andy sniffed the air appreciatively. No doubt about it: Kelly could cook. Another major difference between her and Brenda. He eased off the sofa and went into the kitchen. Kelly was looking for something in the pantry. He took the lid off the soup pot and stirred the mixture. Then, he tasted it. Delicious.

"Stay out of that," Kelly said.

He turned guiltily, spoon still in his hand. "It's good. Tastes as good as what Mom used to make."

"Thank you. Since you're standing there, want to get the garlic bread out of the oven?"

"Sure." He did so and saw Kelly take another pot out of the fridge. "What's in that?"

"Vanilla custard," she answered.

"Can I ask what it's for?"

"You like bananas?" He nodded. "Then it's for banana pudding. I'm going to warm it on the stove a little. I made the custard last night."

"You made it. Like, from scratch?"

"I did."

"And what's it for again?" he asked.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Banana pudding. It's a little like a trifle. Vanilla custard layered with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Southern thing, right?"

"Yep."

"Do you people just sit around and talk about ways to make desserts?"

Kelly laughed. "Well, yeah, we do. The men watch college football and the women talk about food. And banana pudding is a time-honored dish. I think you'll like it."

"Oh, I know I'll like it," Andy said. He watched interestedly as Kelly warmed the custard, layered it with the sliced bananas and vanilla wafers and put the whole thing in the refrigerator.

"By the time we want it, it will be ready," she said.

"Seems like I saw somebody do that on TV and they put meringue on top," Andy said.

Kelly shuddered. "Eeww. I don't do meringue on banana pudding. Some people swear by it, but not me. Not my thing." She got soup mugs from the cabinet, put them on plates, and served the soup with garlic bread. "I know you'll want some sweet tea," she said. "It's fresh."

"You're too good to me, baby," he said, as Kelly put the glass on the table. "I don't know why you won't drink this stuff."

"I've never been a sweet tea drinker. Don't care for it. But I'm happy to make it for people who do like it." Kelly placed a dish with lemon slices in it next to Andy's plate. "Lots of lemon, too. Drink up."

"If I'd known about this stuff, I'd have never started drinking booze," he said after taking a long pull at the glass.

"I wish I had some decent cornmeal and I'd have made a pan of cornbread, but I don't know where in the world to get cornmeal in Los Angeles. I'll have to ask the lady who runs the soul food restaurant where she gets hers. I could have ordered it online, I suppose."

"I don't guess I've ever asked you who taught you to cook?"

Kelly sat down with her plate. "Mama, and my grandmother, I guess. I come from a long line of good cooks."

"I'll bet your family reunions are something else," he said, as he ate. "This is awesome soup."

"You'd never know those were veggie crumbles and not ground beef. I like that. And if you're interested in a family reunion, come home with me for Christmas."

Andy stopped eating and looked at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yep."

He shook his head. "I'll still be on bond then and can't leave town."

Kelly chuckled. "Not if I know Brenda Leigh Johnson, you won't be. I fully expect this will all be behind you by then."

"I hope to God you're right," he answered.

"I am." She finished her soup and stood. "That reminds me. I need to call our favorite neurotic deputy chief about something Bridget told me."

He looked up. "What's it about?"

"Facebook." She got the phone and dialed Brenda's cell. When she picked up, Kelly said, "Hey chief. Talked to Bridget earlier. She said Jenna Lessing has been posting what she called 'twisted stuff' on Facebook and thought Tao might be the man to look at it." A pause. "I don't know. She didn't say and in the activity of getting Andy to my place, I haven't looked yet. But it may be worth a shot. Yeah, I know. But when a 16-year-old says something is twisted, I think we'd better check into it. Yeah, I'll look at the page, too, and I'll send you an e-mail with my thoughts. Can we get Fritzie baby to get a warrant for her chat logs, if necessary? I know. I know, it makes me want to chew iron and spit nails, too. Let's see if we can't spit a few in Jenna Lessing's direction. All right. I'll e-mail you." She hung up.

"_Fritzie baby_?" Andy said.

"Hush up. Go get some banana pudding."

He shot her a look but got himself a serving of the dessert. One bite and he pointed his spoon at her. "You're set on getting me to gain 20 pounds, aren't you? How do you stop with just one serving of this stuff?"

Kelly laughed. "Apparently, I did it right, then. You're not supposed to want to stop with just one serving, but I'll take the rest to work tomorrow and let the chow hounds have it." At his surprised look, she said, "But I'll put back some more for you, O.K.?"

"O.K. Start looking for what you were on the phone to Brenda about, wouldja?"

Kelly went to the table where her computer rested. "Let me fire up my laptop and look at that little wench's Facebook page." She found it quickly and started scanning the posts. Bridget was right: this chick was twisted, but it was one particular exchange that got her attention, and she immediately got a screenshot. "Andy, my dear, your daughter may be a budding investigator herself. Take a look." In one post, Jenna had said, "Mission accomplished." The replies were mostly "Wazzup" and the like, but one post said, "So how'd you do it?" and her reply was, "Well blackmail woulda been more fun, but rape works 2." Another post below, on the same thread, read, "Good girl. I knew you wouldn't let me down."

Andy read the posts and looked at Kelly, hands on his hips. "Holy shit," he said.

"My thoughts exactly. Looks like you may be out of hot water even sooner than we thought. Now, we need to find who this 'Buster Brown' is who said good girl." Kelly clicked on his profile. "Stupid," she said with a snicker. "My Facebook profile is locked down tighter than Fort Knox. But these idiots post everything for everybody to see. And they're not smart enough to keep from bragging about it." She looked over her glasses at Andy. "How many idiots do you suppose we cops have caught over the years just because they couldn't keep their big mouths shut?"

"Enough to populate the 51st state," he said. "Is he that out there about it?"

"Well, enough for a probable cause warrant to get his and Jenna's chat logs. Now, we just need a positive ID on this little twirp. I'm betting he's been in the system. Yeah, Mike Tao is gonna have a field day with all this. Let me go ahead and e-mail Brenda so Fritz can get to work on that warrant." She pulled up her e-mail and sent the information, along with a link to both pages and the screenshot. She looked at Andy. "It could take a couple of days to get this little worm ID'ed. He was at least smart enough not to include much personal information in his profile."

"But now, we've got something to go on," Andy said. "That's a hell of a lot more than we had this morning."

"It is. At least maybe enough to let us both get some sleep tonight."

"Yeah." He put his arms around Kelly. She reached to cuddle his cheek to hers. "You know I love you," he said.

"I love you, too."

They were able to sleep that night.


	16. Chapter 16: Daylight Again

**A/N:**Hope everyone is still enjoying the story! Please, please continue to R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 16: Daylight Again**

When Kelly arrived in the murder room the next morning, it was quiet. She missed Andy bringing her coffee, but hoped he would be back, doing just that, soon. She looked at the front page of the LA newspaper and groaned. Of course it was on the front page, but at least not at the top. The byline said Ramirez wrote it. She hadn't met him,

but had heard quite a bit about him, little of it good. The Huntsville department had a decent working relationship with their city newspaper, but Kelly understood there was a lot of friction between the media and other departments. She read the article. Nothing in it but what was on the police report, which was damning enough, and quotes from Blanchard and Pope, defending Andy and Pope saying they were in compliance with all department regulations and Andy had been placed on administrative leave.

"Disgusting, ain't it?" Brenda said as she walked in.

"Could be worse, I suppose. At least Ramirez got his information from the police report and not 'anonymous sources.' That does happen, even at reputable papers," Kelly replied.

"Yeah, I guess. I got that e-mail you sent me. Fritzie's workin' on that warrant for the chat logs, but with a site the size of Facebook, it has to be airtight. They don't do this just for the askin'. But I think I see what's going on about this. Once Tao has a positive ID on this Buster Brown, I think it will all be clear as day."

"Me too, Chief."

"How's Andy?"

"Better since we found that stuff on Facebook. Before, he was pretty down. Who could blame him? Sheila called him, though, and so did Bridget. Ben called him this morning, and knowing his kids are behind him helps him so much."

Brenda nodded. "That's good to know. Provenza said he had a migraine yesterday. What about that?"

"Also better. He's got his meds and with some glimmers of hope, it takes some of the stress off. He's staying with me for a while. Keep the press out of his hair."

"Good idea. Oh, to get my hands on that little…" Brenda's voice trailed off.

"Stand in line, Chief," Kelly said dryly. "You can have her if there's anything left of her after I get _my_ hands on her!"

"Well, I do have some bad news for you. That woman is in Interview One and wants to talk to you."

"Who, Captain Raydor?"

"Unfortunately. If you'll wait just a minute, I can go in there with you," Brenda said.

Kelly smiled. "That's O.K., Chief. It'll all be on video, and I'm not afraid of anything she asks me. Or of her. I appreciate you offering, though."

"I hate the thought of you dealing with that woman alone."

"It's fine. I can handle it. I promise."

"Well, all right, but if you need me, I'll be watching with Buzz. Give me the sign and I'll hightail it in there as quick as I can."

"Thanks Chief. Let me go on in there. I know she hates to be kept waiting." Kelly walked down the hall and paused at the door to the room. She took a deep breath and resolved to be polite, civil and even pleasant to Sharon Raydor. She opened the door. "Good morning, Captain Raydor," she said sweetly.

"Good morning, Detective. Please sit down."

Kelly did and looked at the captain expectantly.

"Detective, I've been in touch with your captain in Huntsville and he said we should handle this according to our procedures."

"Certainly," Kelly replied.

"I'm under the impression you and Lieutenant Flynn are in a relationship?" she asked. Kelly could swear she heard a little jealousy in that question. Like she hadn't seen them at Halloween.

"We are." Kelly wasn't about to volunteer anything else.

"So, please tell me about what happened at his home Friday night."

Kelly related the story, exactly as she had told it to Brenda and Tom Blanchard. Buzz and Brenda were watching in the electronics room and the chief was anxiously looking for any sign that Raydor might be overstepping her bounds.

"I see. So you're telling me Lieutenant Flynn had some concerns about Miss Lessing being in his home from the beginning."

"Yes. That's why he wanted me to be there. He wanted an adult female to be around."

"But you didn't sleep in the same bedroom."

"Like it's any of her business!" Brenda said.

"An — um, Lieutenant Flynn didn't feel that was appropriate in this situation, so he slept on the sofa. I slept with the bedroom door open all night. As I mentioned before, I'm a light sleeper away from home, and I would certainly have heard any sounds of a struggle in the den."

Sharon looked shrewdly at Kelly. "If you _had_ heard a struggle, what would you have done?"

"Gotten up and investigated it."

"And if you had found Lieutenant Flynn in a – compromising – position with Miss Lessing, would you have reported it? Since you're in a relationship with him." Raydor's tone was a little sarcastic.

"Ooooh, that woman! What kind of question is that?" Brenda fumed

But Kelly actually nodded. "A legitimate question, Captain, and one with a legitimate answer. Yes, I would have certainly reported him. I have no interest in being in a relationship with any man who would force himself on any female, let alone a 17-year-old girl. I would have immediately called 911 and would have made myself available in every capacity to see that he was brought to justice."

Sharon Raydor narrowed her eyes at Kelly. Will Pope had told her not to expect another Brenda Leigh Johnson, but she hadn't counted on this professional, polite demeanor. She wondered if this was some sort of veiled, Southern-style insult. "I see. Did Miss Lessing show any sign of having experienced any kind of trauma afterward?"

"No, she did not, and I was with her most of the day on Saturday."

"Did Lieutenant Flynn act strangely toward her?"

"Strangely? No. Cautiously? Yes."

"Cautious, how?" Raydor asked.

"He made a point of keeping her at arm's length and not being left alone with her."

"Did this seem odd to you at the time?"

"Not really. Miss Lessing had been very, well, the old-fashioned word is 'forward' around Lieutenant Flynn. I think he was making a point of not encouraging her in any way."

"Do you think if you had not been present, that Lieutenant Flynn _would _have encouraged Miss Lessing's behavior?"

"That woman is just as good as calling Andy Flynn a pedophile!" Brenda was nearing hysteria. Buzz reached over and very tentatively, patted her hand.

"It's, um, it's O.K., Chief," he said, a little fearful of her reaction.

"Oh, I know, Buzz. She just infuriates me! Implying Andy would encourage that little tart's behavior. Good Lord!"

But Kelly was answering, "Captain Raydor, Lieutenant Flynn has his faults, but encouraging a 17-year-old girl in sexually provocative and/or promiscuous behavior isn't on the list. I have no doubt he would have done the very same thing had I not been there."

Sharon unknowingly agreed with Andy on one point: this woman seemed to know the questions before Sharon even asked them. Sharon had a funny feeling Kelly Hargrove was a step or two ahead of her the whole time. It made her uncomfortable. Kelly would have said she had interviewed enough suspects that she knew some questions were bound to come up and others just logically followed them.

Brenda grinned in the electronics room. "Well, she's not letting that woman rattle her, that's for sure."

Raydor had come to the same conclusion. "You seem very calm for someone whose um, boyfriend, has been accused of rape."

"It's easy to be calm when you're telling the truth and you know the accused has done nothing wrong." Check to the king.

Sharon shot back, "Or if you have some kind of misguided denial that is masking your ability to see the truth." Nice point, Kelly had to admit. If there were any merit to it, that is.

"You know, that's always a theory," Kelly returned. "Of course, many psychologists say that extreme, continued hostility towards a person may be a sign of unresolved sexual feelings, but that's also just a theory." The knife was small, but Kelly had stuck and twisted it where it counted.

Brenda, meanwhile, was having what is known in Southern parlance as a "conniption fit."

"I can't believe Kelly is suggesting that woman might have some feelings for… EEEEEWWW!" she squealed, nearly rupturing Buzz's eardrums. He flinched.

Provenza was observing by now and patted Brenda's back. "It's O.K., Chief. Kelly's just making Raydor look at her own behavior. That's all."

"Still…" Brenda spluttered.

Kelly looked relaxed and confident. Her statement, however, had thrown Sharon Raydor into extreme anxiety. The captain looked at the detective. Brenda Leigh Johnson was high-strung, neurotic as hell and stubborn. This woman was just – oh, diabolical. Will was right. They were nothing alike. Sharon had a habit of tapping the toe of one shoe. The tapping now sounded like castanets in the room.

"Raydor's outgunned and outclassed and she knows it," Provenza chuckled.

"Captain, do you have any more questions for me?" Kelly asked, in the same pleasant, even tone she had used throughout the interview.

Sharon took a deep breath. "What was Lieutenant Flynn wearing the night of the alleged incident?"

_Now it was an "alleged" incident, huh?_ Kelly thought, but answered, "T-shirt and sweatpants. Nothing provocative, I assure you."

There it was again. That coolness. Sharon told herself to calm down. Kelly Hargrove wasn't one of Brenda Leigh Johnson's handpicked people. She wasn't even with the LAPD permanently and Sharon knew she was taking out her continued frustration with Chief Johnson on someone who had absolutely nothing to do with creating it. Maybe it was because, according to the rumors, Kelly Hargrove and Andy Flynn were very happy with each other. Sharon had a hard time with people being happy in relationships, which might also explain her ire towards Brenda. But this woman was definitely not Brenda Leigh Johnson.

"Detective, I know this has not been an easy situation to deal with. It's not for any of us. I hope you understand why I have to conduct this investigation," Sharon said.

Kelly nodded. "Of course, Captain. I'd wonder what was going on with your Internal Affairs department if you didn't investigate. I know it's not personal. You have a job to do to protect the department's interests, and to make sure your people are on the right side of the law. But I can tell you that Andy Flynn didn't touch that girl. My instincts tell me there's a lot going on here and we just don't know about it yet, but once the truth comes out, Andy's name will be cleared."

Sharon sat silently for a moment. She had her instincts too, and they were telling her that, even though Kelly Hargrove didn't like her very much, that she was sincere in her respect for the investigation and for Sharon's position. To her surprise, Sharon was even a little ashamed at herself for allowing her personal ire towards Brenda to spill all over a woman who was 2,000 miles from home, doing a pretty darn good job for her adopted department out of pride and loyalty to her home department, and defending someone she cared deeply for.

"I truly hope that's the outcome of this case, Detective. If I seemed harsh or out of line with my questions, then I do apologize. As I said, these kinds of situations are difficult for everyone involved." She stood and Kelly did also.

"I understand, Captain Raydor. It's never easy to have to put the microscope on one of your own. Take care."

"Thank you, Detective. I will."

Kelly walked out the door, feeling a lot like she had been rolled down a hill and hit by a truck. She needed to be somewhere she could fall apart. She settled for going to her car.

Brenda was jumping up and down in the electronics room, meanwhile. "Did you see that? Did you _see _that? That woman actually apologized! That was just beautiful! I can't believe how Kelly stared that woman down! That has to be a major milestone for this unit – getting Sharon Raydor to apologize for _anything_!" Brenda almost danced back to her office.

Provenza stayed behind, looking at the now empty interview room. "Hmm," he said. "You know, Detective Hargrove was scared as hell the whole time she was in there, but she wasn't about to let that woman get inside her head."

"She didn't look scared to me," Buzz said.

"Oh, she was. She's too smart not to be scared. Anybody with any sense would be terrified, even though they knew the truth was on their side." He went back to the murder room, but Kelly wasn't at her desk. She wasn't in the break room either, and a female officer said she wasn't in the ladies room. He was a little concerned, but thought she might be in her car, since it was more private.

As he approached her parking space, he could see her hunched over the steering wheel, her shoulders shaking. He looked in from the passenger side. Kelly was sobbing. Poor kid. She'd had a hell of a week already, and it wasn't over, yet. She plucked another tissue from the box on the seat and wiped her nose and spotted Provenza. She hastily tried to blot her tears and straighten up her face. He pointed at the door and she unlocked it. He got in the car and closed the door.

"Warm in here," he said.

"I hadn't noticed," she answered, as she continued to wipe her eyes and nose.

He sat silently for a moment and said, "Are you gonna be O.K.?"

She nodded. "Eventually. I'm just one of those people who keeps it together during the hard stuff, and then I completely go to pieces when it's all over."

"I saw most of the interview with Raydor. She never stood a chance. You kicked her skinny little ass all the way back down to her office."

Kelly laughed, in spite of herself. "I wasn't trying to do that. I just knew she was out to get Andy because he's in Major Crimes and she's carrying a grudge the size of a Sherman tank against the Chief and everyone in her squad."

"Much as I hate taking up for her, she really doesn't want Andy to be guilty of this. She's a cop, too."

"Oh, I know. She's just trying to make this as miserable as possible for everyone involved. And she's had her run-ins with Andy, too. She's not about to cut him a break for anything. If he were guilty, I wouldn't want her to. But he's not!" And she started crying again.

As with most men, a crying female made Provenza totally uncomfortable. He handed her another tissue and patted her on the back. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. You know we will. Andy's not going down the river for something he didn't do. How is he, anyway?"

"O.K., I guess. A little better since we found that stuff on Facebook. It's tough to keep your chin up when you're facing false allegations about something where the female is usually believed, regardless."

Provenza nodded. "I know. But that's why we're here. We're here to make sure the truth comes to light, regardless of the allegations."

"Yeah. You're right. And I appreciate it."

He smiled. "I am not about to let my partner go to prison on the word of a screwed-up 17-year-old. Especially not when he's happier than I've seen him in years, and the cause is a good woman who loves him."

"You're sweet, Provenza. Thank you."

"All right. Now blow your nose and come on back inside. I'll see you in there?"

She nodded. "You will."

"All right then." He got out of the car. Kelly watched him walk away, wishing with all her heart she was home and out of this poisonous place called Los Angeles. Not that something similar couldn't, or wouldn't have happened there – not at all – but it just seemed multiplied out here. Oh Lord, she was so homesick. Still, she got herself together and went back inside.

* * *

As Kelly seated herself at her desk, Brenda came into the murder room. "Good news!" she said. "Agent Howard was able to get that warrant for Miss Lessing's chat logs and they just came in on the fax. Let's see what good reading we've got." She handed a stack of paper to Kelly, and one to Tao.

"Chief, are we supposed to be dealing with this investigation?" Tao asked.

Brenda smiled. "The Facebook tip came to this department, so we're following up on it. Nothing wrong with that."

Tao made a gesture of acquiescence and started reading. After about 15 minutes, Kelly said, "Be careful with these logs, Mike. Reading too much of this slop is bound to lower your IQ a couple of points."

He laughed. "You're not kidding. I know one thing: If either Sheila or Andy had seen these logs, they would have banned Bridget from any contact with this girl. I know I would have."

"For real. If she's not talking about new clothes, it's about the new illegal substance she tried at the latest party, or who else she's sleeping with. Good grief."

"Yeah." He looked at another page. "Kelly? Can you take over these pages? Buster Brown said here he was released from San Quentin. It's difficult to find someone when you don't know which prison they were in. But now since I know it was SQ, it might narrow the playing field a little."

"Sure, Mike," Kelly said, taking the pages. "Be glad to." She kept reading as Mike looked. Suddenly, in logs for about a month prior to the incident, the chat got serious. "Hey, David, would you go get the chief?" she asked. "I think we're about to find out exactly what's going on here."

"Sure," Gabriel said. He went to Brenda's office and motioned her outside.

"What's up, Detective?" she asked Kelly.

"Here, in these logs from October first, Jenna and BB are talking. She said she's got a friend whose dad is a cop. He asks who she is and Jenna tells him. He says, 'that Flynn bastard is the one who busted me. I want his ass to pay for putting me there for four years.'" She looked up at Brenda.

"Narrowing the search down to Andy's closed cases from four years ago," Tao said.

"Go on, Detective."

"O.K. Jenna says she's not going to hurt Bridget, that she's a kid and her parents are divorced. How noble of her. So BB says, 'You don't have to hurt her. I don't give a shit about her. I just want Flynn's ass, that's all.' So Jenna asks how, and he suggests that Jenna seduces Andy and then blackmails him, since, because she's still under 18, he wouldn't want his superiors finding out about it."

"Oh really?" Brenda said, her temper rising. "Then what?"

"Jenna asks BB how he thinks she can seduce Andy, and he says, 'He's a man, ain't he? And any man will take any sweet piece of ass that offers.' Oooh. When we find this creep, I'm not letting Andy near him, but I am personally going to beat him within an inch of his worthless life," Kelly said.

"And I'll help," Brenda answered. "Keep going."

"So she says that she's seen Andy, and he's good-looking enough, so it wouldn't be a hardship on her to seduce him, but other than that, what's in it for her – from BB, that is."

"Well, I was waiting for that part," Brenda said.

"Yeah, me too. And BB says he will give her a thousand dollars that he picked up from his latest, 'business venture,' as he puts it. Charming. Then she asks him if he thinks she's a whore or something, and he says 'yeah, but you're MY ho.' And then he says that seducing Andy and blackmailing him will put her permanently on his preferred list." Kelly shook her head. "This guy ought to be FIXED! Wonder if any local vets would take on the challenge?" she chuckled.

"I'll do it for free," Provenza said. General laughter.

"So she agrees, and then asks BB what happens if he doesn't fall for her charms and he says, 'make something up. Yell rape.' Chief, is that enough for probable cause?"

Brenda shook her head. "Not really. I mean, the logs are legal, but just because he told her to do it doesn't mean that's actually what happened. So far, we don't have any direct evidence from the logs that her version of events _isn't_ what happened. We need something else – like a confession."

"Ideally, yeah," Kelly said. "And we couldn't interview her, could we?"

"Nope. Not a chance they'd let any of us close to her."

Kelly was thinking, though. "I see those wheels turning, Detective," Brenda said. "What's going on?"

"Could Raydor interview her?"

"That woman? What in the world has gotten into you?"

Kelly grinned. That was the reaction she expected. "Pull your horns in, Chief. What I'm thinking of is a legitimate reason to get her down here. Isn't it customary for Internal Affairs to interview the person making the allegations against an officer?"

"Yes…" Brenda's voice trailed off. "And you're thinking that, if we give that woman the chat logs, she might be able to weasel a confession out of that little … witch."

"I do. It could happen. There's also what she said on Facebook about rape being as good as blackmail."

"Chief, we got him," Tao said. Brenda and Kelly went to his desk. "His name is Carlos Burgess and his street name is 'Buster Brown.' He was in San Quentin for four years for possession with intent, four counts, and second-degree robbery. He finally got an attorney, who pleaded it down to four years if he rolled over on his partner. He did. The crime actually occurred when Andy was still with Robbery/Homicide, but Burgess was finally sentenced about three years later. Still, Andy got the credit for closing the case."

"Looks like he's nailed. Is there anything we can bring him in for? Jaywalking? Littering? Spittin' on the sidewalk? _Something_?" Brenda said.

"Well, he's on parole. I'll call his PO and see if he's been reporting in like he's supposed to," Tao replied.

"You do that, Lieutenant Tao," Brenda said. "We won't get much more done this evening, but Lord willing, we'll have an end to this case by morning. You tell Andy that, Detective."

"Gladly, Chief."

"And go home."

"Leaving right now," Kelly replied. She was so glad she had such good news for Andy when she got home.

* * *

"Sweetheart, I think your Grandma Flynn is still looking after you," Kelly said when she got home, and filled Andy in on the day's events.

He grinned. "Sounds like somebody is."

"I'm telling you what, though," Kelly mused, "That Carlos Burgess character better not ever walk in front of my car while I'm driving. If he does, he's a grease spot. Guaranteed. And that Jenna Lessing? I'll break her scrawny little neck! Oh, to get my hands on her for five minutes! I'd shake that empty little head of hers right off her shoulders!" Kelly made a choking motion with both hands.

"Easy there," Andy said. He was a little embarrassed at Kelly's vehemence – all on his behalf.

She shook her head. "Both of those wastes of space and air should have been hanged when a sweet potato vine would have done the job!"

Andy gave a low whistle. That was one Southern indictment he hadn't heard before, but it pretty adequately described the situation. "That's one way of putting it," he said. "Remind me never to really piss you off!"

Kelly kissed him. "_You_ are wonderful. I would never say that about you."

"Good to know. I'd hate to be in the sweet potato vine class," he answered.

She laughed and stroked his face. "You're gettin' a little scruffy lookin', sugar. You've got a little more than a five o'clock shadow right now."

"Haven't felt like shaving," he said.

"All right. I can live with it, but if you stop taking a bath, I'm puttin' you out on your behind and you can go batch it with Provenza and you two can be filthy slobs together. I'll live with a pig, but not a dirty one."

Andy grimaced. "Ouch. Get a guy where he lives, why don't you?"

"Absolutely. Let me go see if there's anything in this house to cook. It may just be peanut butter and jelly." She went to the kitchen

"That's all right," Andy said. "I swear I'll make this up to you."

Kelly looked at him. "Make what up to me? Don't you worry about it." She came back to the sofa, behind him and put her arms around him. "Lookin' after my man is my job." She kissed his ear and resumed her culinary search.

Her words made Andy smile. There was no doubt about it: since Kelly had come into his life, he had felt loved, yes, but also very much "looked after." He had a feeling her maternal instincts were expressed in her taking care of all the people around her, but especially the man in her life. Sheila had always been good to him, but the kids had come along, and she had a lot to do. Andy was a solitary sort to begin with, so when Sheila's time was taken up with the kids, he told himself he did just fine alone, and never asked for her time. And with a bottle in front of him, he hadn't needed her as much.

The bottle was gone now, though, and Andy found he didn't need to crawl into that tough shell he'd developed over the years – not with Kelly, anyway. With a little nudging from Jake, whose very good advice was if he let Kelly take care of him, and he took care of her, things would probably go well. So far, even with all this, they had. And when they got through this, there was that elephant in the living room called Alabama they would have to deal with. "One day at a time," he told himself.


	17. Chapter 17: Questions and Answers

**A/N:** Yep, the chapters are coming fast and furious these days! Getting into some stuff I actually wrote about three weeks ago. LOL. Anyway, hope you're still enjoying the story. Please R&R! I appreciate it!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 17: Questions and Answers**

Sharon Raydor was in Brenda's office the next morning. "Look, Captain," Brenda said. "We know that little tramp lied about Lieutenant Flynn. She admitted she did in her Facebook chats! The FBI obtained those for us legally, by the way."

"They're nothing but circumstantial evidence at best, hearsay at worst," Sharon said.

"I _know_ that, but please take 10 minutes and read the highlighted pages. It won't take long, and I think it will help you see exactly what's going on here. You'll be talking to her anyway, so doesn't it behoove you to go in with the most information available?"

Sharon held out her hand for the pages. "All right, Chief, since you are being so insistent, I'll read the logs. May I read them here?"

"Please do, Captain," Brenda said.

Sharon sat, adjusted her glasses and started reading. Brenda sat behind her desk and watched Raydor's facial expression change from one of bored disinterest to outrage. This was exactly the reaction she had hoped for.

Sharon put the pages on Brenda's desk. "I see what you mean, Chief," she said. "In light of this, I think I need to do a little more digging into Miss Lessing's background before I interview her."

"Thank you, Captain. That's all I was asking you to do." Brenda was doing her best to not rile this woman. Detective Gabriel knocked on her door. "Yes?" she said.

"Chief, Commander Taylor just called. They've arrested Carlos Burgess and they've got him in the interview room."

Brenda's face lit up. "Is that so, Detective? What were the charges?"

"Enough probation and parole violations to, as you'd put it, choke a mule," he replied with a grin.

"Oh, goody!" Brenda exclaimed. "Well, I'll just let Taylor and his crew interview Mr. Buster Brown. Taylor does know what his suspect has also been accused of, doesn't he?"

"Oh yeah, Chief," Gabriel answered.

"Then Taylor can have the fun with this one. Captain, please let me know when you have Miss Lessing here for her interview. I want to see this one – in the electronics room, of course," Brenda hastened to assure Raydor.

Sharon stood. "Of course," she said. She picked up the chat logs. "Thank you for this extra information."

"You're very welcome, Captain," Brenda said, managing to sound sincere instead of smug.

Sharon left the office and Brenda extracted the last Goo-Goo cluster from her desk and ate it leisurely. She leaned back in her chair. This was going to be a good day.

* * *

"Miss Lessing, I'm Captain Sharon Raydor, head of Internal Affairs here at the LAPD. Thank you for coming in."

"Yeah, sure," the girl said.

"Now, I know you've been asked to relate what happened to you Friday night. However, I do need to ask you to tell me one more time exactly what happened at Lieutenant Flynn's home."

The girl looked around nervously. "He raped me."

The whole Major Crimes unit was in the electronics room for this one. And this time, everyone was pulling for Sharon Raydor.

"Yes, I understand. Please tell me exactly how the incident occurred."

"Um, well, I was spending the night with his daughter for her birthday and he came into the room and woke me up and told me to follow him into the den. And he raped me."

Brenda and Kelly looked at each other. Had Sharon caught the change?

Sharon nodded. "I see." She peered at the girl's police report. "But there's a small discrepancy."

"A what?"

Raydor gave that mirthless smile. "A discrepancy. It means there's a difference. And you said in the police report that you got up, went to the kitchen for some water, and Lieutenant Flynn called you into the den and then forced himself on you."

Brenda and Kelly fist-bumped at that. Good for Sharon.

"Well, that's what happened. But I got up because he told me to."

"All right. So did Lieutenant Flynn actually come into the room where you were sleeping, or not?"

"I don't- I don't remember. It was really bad." Jenna Lessing was searching for answers, now.

Sharon nodded sympathetically. "I understand how horrible it must have been for you, but I really must have a clear picture of what happened in order to make certain justice is served. Now, what was Lieutenant Flynn wearing that night?"

"You mean like, to bed?"

"Exactly."

"He had on you know, just his underwear."

"Did he have on a shirt?"

The girl shook her head. "No. Just his shorts. What difference does it make? He raped me!"

"Why did you wait so long to report the attack? Another police officer, a female, was in the apartment, also. Why not wake her and tell her?"

"She's screwing him! She's not gonna tell the cops the guy she's bangin' is a rapist!"

At this, Kelly took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, her face beet red. Brenda patted her shoulder. "It's all right, Detective. We're all grown people." She looked fiercely around her. "Aren't we?" There were nods all around.

"So, Miss Lessing. You never said a word, not even to the one person who could have been a witness to your story? Did you say anything to Lieutenant Flynn's daughter? Ask her to call 911?"

"He's her dad. What's she gonna do?"

"Indeed. I suppose this fear was also what led you to refuse to have a rape kit done."

"Hell yeah. You cops stick together. Who was gonna make sure nobody messed with it?"

Sharon raised an eyebrow. "I completely understand. But we'll change the subject a bit. I spoke with your sister, who is your guardian, and she said she assumed your guardianship under rather unusual circumstances."

Brenda had the feeling that Sharon was moving in for the kill. She had so wanted to question this girl, but knew she couldn't. But if Sharon got to the same end - a confession - then it was worth it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your parents basically gave up custody of you to the state, saying your behavior was beyond their ability to control. So your sister took custody of you."

"So? My parents hated the sight of me. They kicked me out."

"For attempting to burn their house down," Sharon explained, in those cold, reasonable tones.

Brenda and Kelly looked at each other. "Hand it to her. She got the goods on this chick," Kelly said.

"How in the world did Raydor get that information? She was a juvenile," Brenda replied.

"I'm not gonna ask if it gets Andy out of hot water," Kelly stated flatly.

"Me either," Brenda agreed.

"And by the way, I do have permission from your sister to interview you. Once I told her what was really going on, I don't think she was very happy with you. And now, we come to another purpose of this little chat. Speaking of which," Sharon said, producing the chat logs. "The relevant portions are highlighted. These are your chat logs from Facebook. The FBI provided them, so we know they're yours."

At that, Jenna Lessing's face lost all color. "So?" she said, a little weakly.

"So," Sharon continued, a pleased look on her face, "They tell a fascinating story about your relationship with a man calling himself Buster Brown, whom we now know is one Carlos Burgess. He's a very interesting character, released from San Quentin after four years, and someone named Lieutenant Andrew Flynn brought him to justice. Does any of that ring a little bell?" Sharon was at her sarcastic worst, and since she wasn't the target, Brenda was enjoying it hugely.

"She's actually pretty good at this when it's directed towards people who deserve it," Brenda said. Snickers filled the room.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," the girl answered Sharon.

"Well, then, let me enlighten you. That means to tell you something you didn't know. In the next room, our officers are interviewing the guy you're, as you put it, 'bangin' and he's telling all about how he paid you a thousand dollars to either seduce Lieutenant Flynn, or to cry rape. Seduce, incidentally, in case you didn't know, means to convince someone to have sex with you."

"I know what it means, you bitch. And you don't have Carlos."

"Charming personality you have. And yes, we do have him. On a parole violation. Several, actually. I don't remember all of them now, but when he was arrested, he was found with a quantity of methamphetamine, a handgun, several thousand dollars, quite a few things – oh, and for having sex with a minor. Did he ever pay you the thousand dollars, by the way?"

"Not yet," she answered and then a shocked look crossed her face.

"Busted," Kelly said savagely.

"Not yet? So sad. No time to spend any of that money," Sharon said with a smile.

"That's not what I meant!" Jenna Lessing screamed.

"Yes, actually, it was. So, would you like to save yourself and we might be able to make deal with you? Drop the charges against Lieutenant Flynn and I'll _consider_ just charging you for filing a false police report, not for conspiracy to commit a felony, and a few other unsavory charges. Tell me exactly how it happened."

The whole electronics room was on edge.

"Carlos told me he would give me a grand if I did it. So I said I would."

"So, just for the record, you lied about Lieutenant Andrew Flynn raping you. Is that correct?"

"Yeah."

Kelly clasped her hands and said a silent prayer of thanks.

"He never touched you. Ever. Never propositioned you or led you to believe he wanted to have sex with you. Also correct?"

"Yeah. I made the whole thing up."

The first genuine smile Brenda had ever seen on Raydor's face appeared. "Very good, Miss Lessing. If you'll just sign this statement to that effect." Jenna signed it. Sharon continued, "And would you care to explain where Carlos Burgess got the thousand dollars he was going to pay you?"

"Drug deals. Where else?"

"Obviously. Who's his supplier?"

"Some dude down in South Central. I don't know."

"All right. Well, you have been so helpful!" She turned to the officer. "Officer, would you arrest this woman for conspiracy to commit a felony?"

The officer pulled the girl out of her chair, cuffed her and read her rights.

"Hey! You can't do this! You said you wouldn't do this if I told you what happened!"

Sharon stood. "Like you, I lied. But you were right: cops stick together. Have a nice day." She left the room, while the officer dragged a struggling Jenna Lessing to Booking.

The electronics room broke into cheers. Everyone was hugging Kelly and high-fiving each other. Kelly just sat at the desk, slow tears leaking down her face. Brenda handed her a tissue. "Are you all right?" she whispered.

Kelly nodded. She sighed, "Thank the good Lord that's over."

Kelly stood and went out of the electronics room, acknowledging the congratulations of the crew. She spotted Sharon in the hall in front of the interview room.

"Captain Raydor, you were unbelievable in there," Kelly said, holding out her hand. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it more than you know."

Sharon took Kelly's hand. "I was doing my job," she said.

"I know. But you did it exceptionally well. The LAPD is better today because you did your job so well."

Sharon actually looked pleased. "Thank you, Detective," she said.

Brenda came up. "Captain, that was an interview to remember. I'm glad we got it on video. You'll want to go back and watch it. You were great. I appreciate it, too. I know we've had our differences, but I hope I'm enough of an adult to be able to tell you thank you. I do thank you. Sincerely. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Chief. I'm glad I was able to clear Lieutenant Flynn. You've got to know how much I hated this," she said.

"I know you did, Sharon. See you later." Brenda went on down the hall, and after another nod and smile, so did Kelly. Then, Buzz, Tao, Sanchez, Gabriel and even Provenza came by and shook her hand and told her thanks and good job. Sharon couldn't remember a time when any one of those people had ever been more than coolly polite to her.

Provenza turned and came back to her. "Captain," he said, "Would you like to join us at O'Malley's Friday night? I know we'll be celebrating. You helped clear Andy. We'd like you to celebrate with us."

Unaccountably, Sharon's eyes moistened at this completely unexpected invitation. She knew how jealously the individual departments guarded these get-togethers. "Maybe. Thank you, Lieutenant. And even if I can't be there, please know I truly appreciate the invitation."

"All right then. Take care."

"You too." Sharon went to her office, feeling better about herself and her job than she had in months.

* * *

News this good had to be delivered in person. With Brenda's blessing, Kelly left the station mid-afternoon and went home. She went inside, but didn't see Andy in the den. She peeked into the bedroom. He was lying down, the curtains drawn, a washcloth on his head. Poor thing. His Imitrex was on the nightstand, so she knew he had another migraine. But at least he had taken his medicine.

Kelly lay down next to him and kissed him very softly. His hand found hers. "Hey babe," he whispered. "What time is it?"

"About four in the afternoon. What time did the headache start?"

"I don't remember. Hit me like a hammer in the back of the head, though. I barely dragged myself in here."

Kelly stroked his hand. "I'm so sorry, honey." She felt the cloth. It had dried. He'd been in here a while, then. "Let me go wet this again and I'll be right back." She was back quickly and gently wiped his face and neck. She could see the dark stains on the pillowcase and his shirt from Andy sweating because the pain was so intense – sweating out that pain all alone. Fury toward that little piece of trash swept over her again. How could she have done this to the sweetest man in the world? Kelly took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Feel up to hearing the best news ever?" she whispered.

Andy opened his eyes just a bit, but closed them again. He had the extreme sensitivity to light, so common to migraine sufferers. "Yeah," he rasped.

"You're clear. The truth came out and Jenna Lessing confessed she lied. On video. To Sharon Raydor, of all people."

A tiny grin crossed Andy's face at that. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kelly kissed his cheek. "It's all over. Lessing and her sorry boyfriend were both arrested. I called Sheila on the way over here and she's going to tell the kids. So lie there, get a little nap and de-stress. I'll be here if you need me." Kissing him again, Kelly started to get up. She didn't want to keep Andy awake, when she knew his body needed the rest.

His hand stayed her. "Don't go," he whispered. "Stay."

"All right," she replied and lay down again.

Andy's fingers twined with hers. The relief of knowing he had been exonerated was chasing the tension from muscles that had been tight with the pain of the migraine. He sighed. Just as he drifted off to sleep, he said something Kelly could barely hear, but that brought the smart of tears to her eyes. "Have to have my – guardian angel with me so I can sleep."

His guardian angel. Was that how he saw her? Kelly had a strong faith in God and firmly believed in guardian angels. She had seen too many fellow officers come out alive from unbelievable circumstances to think anything else. Lying there in the semi-darkness of the room, next to the man she loved like she loved no one else, she suddenly felt a tremendous responsibility. In his bluff, powerful, even cocky masculinity and self-assured demeanor, Kelly had never thought Andy could be fragile. But in this moment, he was.

During the Starman case, Andy had been strong. Today, she was strong. It was the strength honed in years of being a police officer, but it was an older strength, too, handed down to her, forged and tempered in lean and hungry times when women had sustained their families by working like two men and learning to make do with what they had. Kelly had never quite appreciated that inherited strength as she did that afternoon, watching Andy sleep.

* * *

Because of the migraines, Brenda had insisted Andy see the department's doctor, who referred him to a neurologist. After a battery of tests, Andy went back to the LAPD doc to get the verdict.

"Andy, I'm putting you on medical leave for at least eight weeks. I do not want to see your smiling face in this building until after January fourteenth. Period." The man's face was stern.

Andy's jaw dropped. "Eight weeks! Are you kidding me? C'mon, doc! The case is over. I've been cleared, and you people are still treating me like a criminal!"

The doctor narrowed his blue eyes and he pointed at Andy. "Lieutenant, it's because of stubborn jackasses like you that the city council gave the department doctor the rank of chief. This is an order. No arguments. You have been under a tremendous amount of stress, and those migraines are the result. They also further stress your body. It's a vicious circle."

"But I'll stop having them now!" he exclaimed.

"I said, no arguments. Eight weeks. I won't sign your fitness for duty report unless you're gone that long. Neither will the neurologist, in case you were thinking of going that route behind my back. I've discussed it with Deputy Chief Johnson and she is in complete agreement with me that you need a vacation." The doctor leaned toward Andy. "Andy, look. This is important. You need the rest and you need to get away from the pressures of this place for a while. Your blood pressure is on the borderline, and God knows, those migraines don't help that, either. Take a trip. Go somewhere not called Los Angeles. For your health, do it."

"So that's it," Andy said.

"That's it. Bottom line. I will not approve you to come back until mid-January."

"O.K. If that's the way it has to be."

"It is."

Andy left the office feeling incredibly frustrated.

* * *

A growl of anger came from Brenda's office. She popped her head out. "Kelly, can you come in here?" she asked.

"Sure." She went into Brenda's office. "What's up?"

"Oh, I'm just about to go nuts. Mama and Daddy are going to St. Augustine for Thanksgiving, and Fritzie wants to stay here and have our own, but I'm just not able..." Her voice trailed off. "Kelly, I just can't cook! You know that. What in the world am I gonna do?"

"Get the Thanksgiving dinner ready made from a grocery store," Kelly suggested.

Brenda chewed nervously on her fingernail. "But I want to give him a home-cooked Thanksgiving, not one out of a box!"

Kelly grinned. "Want some help?"

Brenda caught the offer like a drowning man. "Oh, _would_ you? That would be so wonderful! I know you know how to cook. But did you and Andy have plans?"

"Not that I know of. I know he was going to have the kids over the day after, but we had kind of planned to do something like a pot of soup, since everybody would be tired of turkey. What would you like to have?"

"I don't even know, except for turkey and dressing. I'd thought with me and Fritzie, you and Andy, and Provenza, because he doesn't have anyone to spend the holiday with, that would be five people. Enough to cook a big meal for."

Kelly nodded and took a legal pad off Brenda's desk. She started scribbling and after a couple of minutes, looked up. "Could you manage something like a green salad?"

"Yes!" Brenda said firmly. "That's one thing I can do. Oh, and what about ambrosia? I can make that, too."

"Sounds great. So, I'll have to go to a grocery store in Rampart or South Central for real cornmeal, but I'll do the dressing, the turkey, a green bean casserole, this broccoli gratin that is to die for, some sort of mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and pecan pie?"

"Oh, that sounds delicious! But it's so much work for you."

"It's all in the prep. And what about we just get a pre-cooked turkey from the grocery store, and that way all we have to do is put it in the oven? They're really good."

"That would be O.K. You don't know how much I appreciate this, Kelly. You might save my marriage!"

Kelly chuckled. "Then I'll consider it effort well spent. Besides, I've got a pack mule to help me tote groceries, and I suspect I can wrangle him into being my sous chef to help me chop and slice. He can make himself useful, as well as most ornamental!"

Brenda laughed outright. "How is he?"

"Pissed off at the doctor. I'm going to do my best to convince him to come home with me when I go, at least for a little while."

"I think that would be great. As long as you don't keep him down there."

Kelly grinned. "You never know. That's his decision."

"I know. I suspect I'll end up losing him. But we'll think about that later. Now, we've got Thanksgiving dinner to plan!"

"I'll just go make out a grocery list," Kelly said.

"Thank you again!" Brenda exclaimed.

"No problem, chief."

* * *

Andy taped up another cardboard box. "There's one to ship," he said. They were sitting on the floor of her house and Kelly was packing.

"Thanks, babe," Kelly said, as she slapped on an address label. "These should all get back home before I do."

He looked at her, those dark eyes pensive. "You're really going, aren't you?"

"I have to, honey. I can't stay in L.A. I just can't. It's not my town." She took his hands. "Come with me, Andy. Please. If just for the duration of your medical leave. There's still an open seat next to mine. I've checked the airline's website. You'll just be rattling around here with everyone else at work. Why should we miss each other before we have to?"

He sighed. "It might just make it worse, postponing the inevitable."

"Do you really think that?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I know I've got the worst luck with women. I find one, lose her because I can't stay out of a bottle, find another one who's way more in love with herself than with me, and now you. I'm sober, I can be good to you and treat you right, but you live 2,000 miles away. It ain't fair."

Kelly touched his face. "Sugar, I'm so sorry. There has to be a way out of this. We're just not seeing it right now. So just forget L.A. for a while. Look at what Dr. Prather told you. You're still having migraines, and even if they're not as bad, I know you're still stressed out. You need to get out of here, at least for a little while. Come home with me and we'll go to the mountains and then the beach. I don't have to be back at work until after the new year, unless I just want to go in. And neither do you. Come home with me."

Andy closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "O.K. Maybe you're right. Pull up the website and I'll book that seat next to yours. Maybe I could use some time away from here."

Kelly smiled at him, leaned over and kissed him. Andy put his hands in her hair and kissed her back, pushing her against the bottom of the sofa, his mouth hot and insistent. As he continued to kiss her, Kelly twined her arms around his neck, stroking that thick hair she envied. "Andy, honey, as much as I'd love to keep doing this, I've got more boxes to pack."

He pulled away and looked at her and sighed. "O.K."

"Don't say it like that. When we get home and get to the mountains, my cousin owns this cozy little cabin where we'll stay. No near neighbors and no distractions. There's even a hot tub. Sound good?"

Andy considered it and grinned at her. "Yeah. Sounds real good. Where's your laptop so I can buy that ticket?"

Kelly found it and pulled up the website and her flight information. "All it needs is your credit card," she said, after booking the seats for him. She got the confirmation e-mail and said, "Allrighty. You're flying. Better call Brenda and let her know."

"I will. You know the people in MC are gonna miss you."

"I'm going to miss them, too. But..."

"You have to go home. I know," Andy finished her sentence.

"I do, baby. I really do."

"Well, what are we gonna do for Thanksgiving?" he asked.

Kelly laughed. "We're going to Brenda's."

Andy shot her a look. "And eat what, burned toast and corn chips?"

She laughed harder. "No, I'm doing most of the cooking. I don't mind. I'll get a lot of it done the night before. And if you'll help me, I think we can pull off a great dinner."

"I'll help, sure, but I'm not the greatest cook in the world."

"You can chop onions, can't you? Brenda got a few kitchen gadgets when she and Fritzie got married, and she said I can borrow any of them. One being a food processor. If you can punch a button, you're done. That, a set of knives and a mixer are really all I'll need."

"I'm game if you are," he answered.

"It's going to be fun."

"We'll see," was all he said.


	18. Chapter 18: Giving Thanks

**A/N:** Some holiday fluffy stuff. Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Please R&R! Thank you so much!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Giving Thanks**

Kelly was home already, and cooking for Thanksgiving. With a little advice from the head chef at her favorite soul food restaurant, she had located actual cornmeal and already had a large pan of cornbread in the oven for the dressing. She had Brenda's knife set, mixer and food processor at hand, and a couple of pots and pans she borrowed from Andy, so she felt pretty well prepared for what the menu required.

She didn't hear Andy's knock, so he opened the door and yelled, "Anybody home?"

"Kitchen!" Kelly answered. Andy entered the kitchen and laughed at the picture. Kelly had what looked like enough ingredients for an army spread on the table.

"Jeez!" he said. "What is all this?"

Kelly gave him a sidelong glance. "'All this' is the majority of a Thanksgiving dinner, since making a green salad and ambrosia constitute the absolute limit of Brenda Leigh Johnson Howard's cooking abilities."

"Oh, I see. What's ambrosia, anyway?"

"It's basically a citrus fruit salad with coconut. I love it when I can get it," she answered, as she took the cornbread out of the oven. "Now that is one beautiful pan of cornbread," she said proudly.

"Looks like a picture," Andy replied.

"It ought to. It has four eggs in it. Now we cool it in the pan for a little while, turn it out and cool it some more. In the meantime, I've got onions and celery out there, if you'll start running them through the food processor. I'll get the sage ready."

"All right," Andy said, and started processing the vegetables while Kelly chopped fresh sage and thyme leaves she had stripped off their stems.

As they worked, Kelly mostly gave orders and Andy mostly followed them. He was a fair cook, but never would have attempted this kind of undertaking, but Kelly just said, "There's nothing really difficult here. It's mostly just following a lot of steps."

Finally, the dressing, broccoli and sweet potato casserole were in the fridge, since they and the green bean casserole would be cooked the following day, the pecan pie was cooling on the counter and Andy was having a tough time not tasting it. It looked delicious.

"If you touch that pie, something awful is going to happen to you," Kelly said darkly.

Andy believed her, but still smelled it one more time. The fragrance of vanilla and roasted pecans rose from it. "If this tastes half as good as it smells, I want one all to myself,"

"You wouldn't believe how many calories are in it. One piece is plenty. It has a cup of Karo syrup in it. Nobody needs two pieces. Not in one day," Kelly answered. She went into the den and collapsed on the sofa. "All right. I've done absolutely all I can do, will do, or want to do, for one day," she said.

"Is that right?" Andy answered, coming into the room.

"Yep, and I don't even have to look at your face to know what's going through that pointy little head of yours." She leaned back and closed her eyes.

He chuckled and leaned his elbows on the back of the sofa. "So, do you know what's going through the big head?"

Kelly grimaced. "I swear, I didn't know I was dating a 15-year-old who just doesn't look his age."

"You've got a smart mouth," he answered.

"Born with it. Take it or leave it," she shot back.

Andy winced at that and went to sit beside her. "I guess I'll have to take it. Package deal, right?"

"You got it," Kelly replied, eyes still closed.

"I still owe you for that back rub, don't I?" he said.

"Yep," was her drowsy answer. "You sure do."

"If you think you can manage to drag yourself to the bedroom, I'll do it right," he said.

Kelly nodded. "Sounds good, but if I fall completely asleep, don't say you weren't warned."

He grinned. "Don't worry. Go on."

"O.K.," she answered, and raised up from the sofa and walked down the hall to her room. She lay on the bed, and then a thought occurred to her. "Stay out of that pie!" she yelled.

Andy drew his fingers back from the surface of the pie. How in the hell had she known what he was doing? And she said she wasn't psychic.

He went into the bedroom.

"I told you to stay out of that pie," Kelly said.

"Now what makes you think I was anywhere close to it?" he protested.

"Because what better opportunity were you going to have to get a nibble than when I'm on the other side of the house? The perfect crime," she said, looking around at his oh-so-innocent face.

Put that way, well, he just had more respect for her detective skills. Still didn't mean there wasn't something else going on inside her head, though. His Grandma Flynn had called it "having the sight" and he was positive Kelly had it, too. It never occurred to him that having something along the same lines might be what made him good at _his_ job.

"You gonna pay up on that backrub, or what?" Kelly said, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Sure, babe. Where's the oil?"

"Nightstand." She pulled up her T-shirt, to bare the skin on her back, but didn't take it off.

He took the oil and said, "Now wait a minute. I was like, completely naked when you did that for me."

Kelly harrumphed, "I am worn out and not interested in messing around. You offered the back rub and I accepted it. Deal with it."

Now something about that just pricked his male ego a little. "Not interested, huh?"

"Nope."

Now it was a challenge. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You'll be begging for it before I'm through with you, and I might, or might not, decide to give it to you."

Kelly buried her face in her pillow, frustrated. She was _so_ tired and a back rub sounded wonderful, until that stinking Andy had to make it into some kind of competition. So she had a dilemma: accept the back rub and keep one elbow ready to defend herself; or tell him no thank you, she had changed her mind and would now be going right to sleep, he could see himself out, leave the pie alone, lock the door please and she would see him in the morning.

So she settled for offering _him_ the ultimatum. "Either give me the blasted back rub and behave yourself, or say good night, go home and I'll see you tomorrow."

Andy got the picture. Didn't mean he had to like it, but he got it. Well, she still might change her mind once he got started, he thought, being optimistic. "O.K., O.K. Calm down. Unruffle your feathers." He warmed some oil in his hands and started rubbing her back in long, even strokes.

Kelly sighed. Even when Andy was being at his most exasperatingly _male_, there was nothing like the feel of his hands on her skin. Oh, it was just heavenly. As those big hands eased the tension from her neck and shoulders, she relaxed and drifted into a light doze.

As Andy massaged her back, he was thinking there had to be something to what the doctors said about sun damage on skin. He knew Kelly was not a sun-worshiper, and was even a little obsessive about making sure she had sunscreen on. She rarely drank, didn't smoke and didn't get out in the sun. And her skin was as smooth and creamy as a teenager's. It wasn't unmarked, though. After all, she was past 40 and those curves added up to a few stretch marks. They weren't romantic, but Andy liked the honesty of Kelly's body. It was as unpretentious as she was. He knew women liked to look at him, but the trade-off was most of his flaws were between his ears. What was the use of having a good-looking body and face if you were such a jerk nobody wanted to be around you? Which was something else brought home to him in AA. And that thought led directly to the uncomfortable one that he had no business pressuring Kelly for sex anytime, but especially not when she was obviously tired, and had been upfront about it. He sighed. "Selfish jackass," he muttered.

"Did you say something?" Kelly mumbled.

"No, babe. Just relax."

"I am," she sighed.

The massage turned into Andy gently stroking the skin on her back, but it was because he knew how much she loved having her back rubbed, not as seduction. Her even breathing told him she had slipped into true sleep and he lay down beside her, trying to disturb her as little as possible. He couldn't help but nuzzle softly into her hair, snuggling to the warmth of her body, loving how easily she relaxed against his body. That was trust and he felt a tremendous responsibility to uphold it.

* * *

When Kelly woke up the next morning, she thought she smelled something cooking. Had she left something on the stove last night? She thought about it. Her last memory of the night before was Andy rubbing her back. Nice memory, she thought, and smiled. Had he stayed all night? She was under the blankets, but was still wearing the T-shirt she had on last night.

Andy looked around the door. "You awake?" he said softly.

"Yeah. Mornin'."

"Good morning," he answered, sitting beside her, reaching to stroke her hair.

"Did you spend the night?"

"Nah. Once you were out, I turned everything off and went home. Came back this morning to make breakfast for you."

"That's sweet. Thank you."

"You're welcome, babe. I know Brenda was planning to eat about, what four or so?"

"Something like that," Kelly said.

"So I thought I'd do at least some of the cooking today. Did you know there was a waffle iron in your kitchen?"

Kelly turned over. "No, I hadn't run across it. But I love waffles! I rarely eat them but I do love them." She sat up and Andy immediately put his arms around her and kissed her. She put her head on his shoulder. "I love waking up this way, too."

"I'm kind of starting to get used to it, myself," Andy answered. He gave her another squeeze. "Your waffles should be about done," he said.

"I'll be right along," Kelly answered.

When she went into the kitchen, she looked at the pecan pie. It looked unmolested and she shot Andy a look.

"Haven't touched it, swear to God!" he exclaimed, holding up his hand.

"I believe you," she said.

As they ate, Kelly said, "So tell me more about Grandma Flynn. You've talked about her, but I don't really know that much about her. Was she straight off the boat from Ireland?"

"Yeah, she came over in 1925 when she was fifteen," Andy answered, with a grin. "She never lost the accent, either. She was a mail-order bride."

"Is that so? How interesting!" Kelly said. "Your grandfather was a few years older than she was, then?"

"Yeah. They lived in Trenton, New Jersey. He was 35."

"And no nice Irish-Catholic girls to be found in the whole of Trenton?" Kelly asked.

Andy laughed. "Something like that. So, he talks to a woman who has connections in the old country, and she writes a few letters, and about a year later, Grandma got here. My dad was born in 1928."

"So he had to have gotten married young, too, right?"

"Yeah, he was 18 and mom was 16. They got married in '46."

"Wow. Now she lived with you all, right?"

"Yeah. Grandpa Flynn died when I was about five. My dad is the oldest son, so it was up to him to look after Grandma. But mom needed the help. She had five kids when he died, and Grandma helped take care of us.

"Yeah, but your grandmother was still relatively young when your grandfather passed away. I'm a little surprised she didn't pack up and move to Florida."

That made Andy chuckle. "She might have, if she'd thought about it. But that's the way we did it there. And I wouldn't have missed it. I could talk to Grandma about anything. Nothing shocked her."

"Good thing, considering you were her grandson," Kelly wisecracked.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and you two have a lot in common. She had a smart mouth, too. And she could cook."

Kelly laughed. "I knew all along that's why you were dating me. You were tired of your own cooking."

He shrugged. "So sue me. I like to eat well," he answered, but his dark eyes were twinkling warmly.

"I noticed. We should eat well today. I didn't tell you I talked to Brenda yesterday. They're doing a pre-cooked turkey, but she's not even putting it in the oven. She said she was bound to ruin it and was gonna let Fritz cook it." She shook her head and laughed.

Andy rolled his eyes. "Oh, God. That's one for the book." He stopped eating and thought a moment. "Do you think she's got some kind of mental issue?"

Kelly sipped her coffee meditatively. "She's neurotic, for sure. Maybe a little OCD? I think she mostly has a lot of unresolved issues with her family. She feels guilty because she's here and her parents are aging and in Georgia. She wants to be with them, but doesn't want to give up her career. And she wants her dad to be as proud of her as if she was a son, so she works triple time to close every case, to get that confession every time. But I think he _is_ proud of her, just as she is. She just doesn't see it. It's a really tough dynamic, at any rate. I'm glad my family isn't that complicated."

"So what about your dad? He didn't mind you being a cop?"

Kelly wrinkled her brow in thought. "Well, he wasn't crazy about the idea. But, he said he mostly wanted his children in a profession where they helped other people, and if being a police officer was my calling, then that's where I needed to be. He was always big on service to other people." She looked at the clock. "Come on. The Macy's parade is on and I want to watch it." She took her coffee cup into the den and turned on the television.

Andy followed her in and looked at the newspaper's TV grid. "What games are on today?" he said.

"I have no idea. Alabama's not playing so I don't care. They're playing Auburn tomorrow, and I'll probably watch some of that game, unless I get too nervous."

After the parade ended, Kelly got up and started making preparations to pack up the food to take it to Brenda's.

"You should have told her to bring her turkey, ambrosia, salad and Fritz over here," Andy said.

"Yeah, except this table is too small for five people. She does have a little more room in her house than I do."

"I guess so." He started carrying items to the car.

* * *

When they arrived at Brenda's, she was all aflutter. "Oh, I am so glad you're here! I've just been running around here all morning! Can't seem to get anything organized!"

"I'll help you," Kelly said. "Did you get the ambrosia made last night?"

"That I did do, but the salad is still waiting. And I forgot to get anything to drink! I've got a bottle of Merlot in the kitchen, but..." her voice trailed off.

"Good thing I brought a gallon of sweet tea, then," Kelly said.

"Sweet tea?" That was Fritz coming in from outside. "Did you say you had sweet tea?"

"Whole gallon. You can fight Andy for control of the tea pitcher," Kelly laughed.

"You're incredible," Fritz answered, giving Kelly a shoulder hug. "Glad to see you, thanks for doing all this cooking."

"You're welcome, Fritz. I hope it's all good. Brenda, do you have ice?"

Her face fell. "No! I forgot that, too. I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right. Hey, Andy!"

"Yeah?" he said from the den.

"Would you be a love and go to the 7-Eleven and get a couple of bags of ice?"

She heard his subdued chuckle, "Yeah, sure. Anything else we need while I'm there?"

Kelly looked at Brenda, who bit her lower lip, thinking. "Well, no... Yes! Cool Whip! Can you get a container of Cool Whip?"

"I will," he said, his voice suspiciously tinged with amusement. He knew better than to meet Kelly's eyes as he left, knowing he would start laughing.

"Fritz? You want to go help Andy carry that ice?" Kelly asked him.

His look of gratitude was almost pitiful. "Yeah, I'll come with you, Flynn," he said.

"Come on," Andy said, barely able to contain his laughter.

Once they left, Kelly turned to Brenda. "All right. Now the menfolks are out of the house, maybe we can get something accomplished!"

"What do you want me to do?" Brenda asked.

"Chop those pecans for the topping on the sweet potatoes. I'll get this dressing warmed up on top of the stove before we put it in the pans and start the roux for the gratin."

A knock sounded on the door. "That must be Provenza," Brenda said, going to the den.

He came in with a two-liter of soda, which was welcome, and a store-bought angel food cake and frozen strawberries. He brought them into the kitchen and Kelly said, "Well, bless your heart, Provenza! That's great! We'll just thaw the strawberries and put them on the cake with the Cool Whip."

"I'm glad I could help," he said, with a pleased grin.

"Well, you did," Brenda said. "Now, Andy and Fritzie are gone on an ice run, so you just make yourself comfortable in front of the TV until they get back."

"Want some sweet tea?" Kelly asked.

"I believe I'll take a glass," he answered.

Brenda found enough ice in the freezer trays for a glass of tea and poured it for him.

"All right, Brenda," Kelly said. "Let's get the last of this prep work done. I'd like to get a pan of dressing and the sweet potatoes in at the same time. Then we'll do the gratin, green beans and rolls."

"I don't know how you organize all this so well," Brenda sighed. "I never can seem to get everything done all at the same time."

"Well, if the dressing and potatoes aren't piping hot, no big deal. So they can go in first."

"Never thought about that," she answered.

Provenza took great pleasure in telling Andy and Fritz how Kelly ordered Brenda around "like a drill sergeant." They all laughed at that.

Fritz said, "Sometimes, it's the only way to get anything done and to get her to focus."

But finally, the table was set, the food cooked, ice in the glasses, drinks poured and all were at the table, ready to eat. Fritz had carved the turkey and was passing it around on a platter. At Brenda's request, Kelly said a short grace and they started in on the food.

"Ah Jeez. I should have worn my sweats," Andy groaned. "I ate way too much."

Kelly laughed. "That's how you're supposed to feel after Thanksgiving dinner," she said.

Andy stood and took his plate to the kitchen. "Now, I'm getting into this pie!" he announced.

"I've been guarding that pie since last night to keep him out of it," Kelly chuckled.

"It looks like a TV pie," Brenda said.

"No trick there. Just arrange the pecans nicely." Andy came into the dining room. "Well, how is it?" she asked.

"Oh God. You people just don't know when to quit on desserts, do you?" he said.

"Is that a good thing?" Brenda asked.

Andy nodded. "Yeah, it's a good thing. Who came up with this pie, anyway? A sugar addict?"

Fritz laughed. "Yeah, I think so. They're all sugar addicts. Haven't you noticed?"

"Tell me about it," Andy said.

"Keeps us sweet-tempered," Kelly answered.

"You're not eating enough of it then," Andy cracked. Fritz and Provenza howled with laughter.

Kelly pointed at him. "_You_ are going to pay for that remark, mister," she said. "Just you wait and see." Andy just grinned at her.

"You're toast, Lieutenant," Brenda confidently predicted.

"Can't wait," he said.

"That Yankee mouth of yours is gonna get you in serious trouble," Kelly answered.

"Oooooh," Fritz said. "She used the 'Y' word. Now you're in for it."

Kelly looked over at Brenda. "How'd I ever get mixed up with a Yankee boy, anyway?" she asked.

"Same way I did, hon. And you can't get rid of them, either. They stick to you like flypaper."

Kelly nodded in agreement. "For real." She shot a mock scowl at Andy.

"Let's get this table cleared," Brenda said. "I'm sure they have a real important ball game to watch."

Kelly laughed and they started cleaning up the remains of the meal and packing up leftovers.

Fritz eased into the kitchen a while later. "Hey, Kelly?" he said.

"Yeah, Fritzie. What's up?"

He hugged her. "Thanks again for everything you did today. This is the first day in weeks that Brenda hasn't been obsessing about her job. And everything was delicious."

Kelly smiled at him. "I'm glad I could help, Fritzie. And that you enjoyed everything. I love to cook, so really, this was as much fun as work."

"Yes, thank you so much, Kelly!" Brenda said. "I just could not have done a thing without your help. We would have had to go out to eat. And I wanted to be home. You just don't know how much I appreciate it."

"It's been a pleasure. Really, it has. I'm just thankful I had somewhere to go today. It's kept me from being so lonesome and homesick."

Brenda smiled. "You don't have to be lonesome. You know Andy will follow you anywhere, don't you?"

Kelly shrugged. "We'll see, I guess," she answered.

"Take my word for it. I'm already planning for next year. I know I'll be losing a lieutenant."

"You sound pretty sure of that," Kelly answered.

"I am sure. Nobody's said anything, but I know, Kelly. I know. You two would be miserable apart. I don't know how you did it, but that hard, cynical, hot-tempered, tough-talkin', jaded cop is just a pussycat around you."

"Well, I sure don't know that I've done anything wonderful in particular," she replied with a chuckle.

Brenda shook her head. "You've just loved him, is all. Unconditionally. Take my word for it: unconditional love is a powerful thing."

* * *

"I told you that eating two pieces of that pie was just gluttony," Kelly teased Andy.

He sat on the sofa beside her. "Tastes too good," he answered.

"You gripe about all the sweet stuff, but you don't have a problem eating it."

He laughed. "I'm just an addict. What can I say?"

Kelly rolled her eyes and went back to watching TV.

Andy snuggled her to him. "I'm glad I was with you today," he said.

"Me too."

"Kelly, do you know how much I love you?"

"I hope it's as much as I love you," she answered.

"I don't know how, or why, you put up with me and my crap and all my stuff," he said, "but I am so thankful you do."

"Well, the payoff is pretty good," Kelly gently teased.

"Don't leave me, Kelly."

Kelly closed her eyes against the pain in his voice. She took his face in her hands. "Andy, I will never leave you. Even if I go back home, I will not leave you. We will work this out, I promise you."

He nodded, but there was doubt in his eyes. He slipped his arms around her and kissed her. "All right," he said.


	19. Chapter 19: Sweet Home

**A/N:** Yep, the magnum opus continues. Thanks for sticking with me on this one! Please continue to R&R. It really does help!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

"Guys, this is all just too much," Kelly said, as she walked into the murder room on her last day at the LAPD. "You know you did not have to do this."

"We wanted to," Provenza said.

Kelly hugged him. "You were my first friend here. Thank you." She took her stuffed elephant from her desk and put it on Provenza's. "Take good care of Al for me."

"I will," he answered, touched by her gesture.

The Major Crimes crew had signed a card for Kelly, but had also put together a great lunch. Sanchez' cousin had brought most of the food, but Lisa Tao had also contributed a huge platter of potstickers and a crockpot of some sort of vegetable soup that was delicious.

Provenza had Andy in a quiet corner. "You're going back with her, aren't you?" he asked.

Andy nodded. "Until my medical leave is over, at least. I need to get away."

"Yeah, I understand that. Are you coming back?"

"I have to. For a while, anyway," Andy answered.

"So what are you gonna do in the long term?"

Slowly shaking his head, Andy said, "I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens. But Kelly has to go home for a little while. The chief lived in Atlanta and D.C., so L.A. wasn't such a huge thing for her. Kelly, though... She's suffocating here. Sometimes she gets this sad look on her face, and I'd give anything I've got to do something for her. But the only thing I can do is get her on a plane as fast as I can and get her home."

"Hell of a thing," Provenza said.

"Yeah. You said it."

"Still having the headaches?"

"They're better, but I think Kelly's right about me needing to get outta here. I don't remember the last time I had a real vacation."

Provenza grinned at his partner. "She's taken first class care of you through this," he said.

"You bet she has. If she ever doubted me, I never knew about it."

"Hell no, she never doubted you. And she'd have probably shot anybody who said they did." He gave Andy a pat on the back. "I told you that you had a case for Miss Alabama," he teased.

Andy chuckled. "Yeah, you did. And you were right on the money. I'll say it again: what _is_ it with these Southern chicks that make a guy go all stupid?"

"They'll never tell and we'll never find out," Provenza replied sagely.

"Guess not," Andy said, grinning at Kelly across the room. She returned the grin and paired it with a wink. When she winked at him, it made him want to kiss her senseless –just like the first time she did it six months ago.

* * *

As Andy and Kelly boarded the plane at LAX to Dallas, she looked out the window. "Thank God I'm going home," she said. The plane took off and banked toward the east. "I'm heading into the sunrise and home."

Andy had never really felt so deeply about any place he had lived, and was a little bemused by Kelly's reaction. When they changed planes in Dallas, their gate faced east and the faintest hints of sunrise were coming over the horizon. She had slept most of the way, as he had, and she looked to the streaks of light and sighed deeply. "Ninety minutes to home," she said. She looked out the window the whole way, and seemed to know where she was most of the time. "Look, Andy. We're crossing the Mississippi River. See how it snakes around? I feel like I'm in familiar territory, now." About half an hour later, they were starting their descent into Huntsville and she turned to him, face wet with tears. "It's my Tennessee River, Andy. It's _my_ river! I'm home. Oh, thank God, thank God, I'm home. Look! We're coming in on the western runway, right by County Line Road! And there's 565!" As the plane landed, Kelly said, "I don't think I can get off this plane quick enough."

As they walked down the jetway and through the security line, Kelly spied someone she knew. "Elle!" she called. A beautiful young woman, tall, slender, blonde, came trotting quickly to her. Kelly hugged her fiercely. "Oh, my Elliebelle! Sugarbaby! How are you! It's so good to see you!"

"I'm fine, Kelly. It's so good to see you too. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, sweetie. How's everybody?"

"O.K." She hugged Kelly again. "Mama's been driving me crazy. I've really missed you!"

"I've missed you and everybody. But here," and she turned to Andy, who was watching this reunion. "Andy, this is my niece, Elle Stewart. Elle, this is Andy Flynn."

The girl smiled at Andy. She looked just a little like Kelly. Their smiles were similar. But Elle had gray eyes. She held out her hand and took his. "It's so nice to meet you. Kelly's talked a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Elle. So, I've been the topic of conversation, huh?" He grinned at Elle, which had its usual effect.

Her grin widened. "Yeah. I think she likes you or something," she laughed. "I've got breakfast ready to go at home. I brought Daddy's truck because I knew you'd have a lot of stuff. But what you shipped ahead all got here O.K., so that's good. Perky misses you. I think he was happy when I told him his mama was coming home."

"I've missed that old boy. But I know you've taken good care of him." Kelly answered. Elle had kept house for Kelly while she was in California. It had been good for everyone. Elle was paying utilities, and making sure Perky, Kelly's cat, didn't get lonely. Plus, it got her out of her parents' house. Elle was 23 and tired of living at home. So it had been a good thing.

"I've saved up enough to get my own place, and I can't thank you enough for letting me house sit for you."

"Oh, I'm just glad it worked out as well as it did."

Elle put her head on Kelly's shoulder. "Mama's been a pill."

"Bless your heart," Kelly answered, putting her arm around Elle's shoulder. "I'll have a talk with her."

"I wish you would," Elle said.

"Baggage claim is downstairs," Kelly said. "Let's hope everything made it on the plane."

"It better be here," Andy said. "I hate dealing with baggage people."

As they got downstairs, Kelly headed for the ladies' room. When they got inside, Elle said, "Oh Kelly, I looked up Andy's picture on the LAPD website, but it didn't do him justice! He's gorgeous!"

"Ain't he something?"

"Oh, I reckon! He could grab me and kiss me anytime!"

"It was a moment, let me tell you!"

"So, how serious are you? I mean, marriage? What?"

Kelly sighed. "Right now, I don't know. We're very serious, but we've got some issues to thrash out. The main one being where we'd live. L.A. is just awful, but his friends are there, and his pension is with the LAPD. So, I don't know. But I could kiss the ground, I'm so glad to be home!"

They went to baggage claim, where Andy waited patiently. Elle was attempting to fix her sock in her sneaker and Andy offered his shoulder. "Here. Lean on me," he said.

Elle grinned at him. "You make a good prop," she replied, as she straightened her sock.

"He does, doesn't he?" Kelly agreed.

They sat as they waited, and Andy sat between Elle and Kelly. Kelly had told him Elle was like her daughter, and he could tell they had a special bond. He put his arm around Kelly's shoulders, and immediately, Elle took his opposite arm and put it around her own shoulders. "I can't let Kelly get all the attention from the good-lookin' guys!" she exclaimed, looking sidelong at him in a way that reminded him a lot of her aunt. And Brenda. It was that Southern belle thing again. They all did it. He remembered he was now in Alabama and apt to see it quite a bit, so he might as well deal with it. He tugged a lock of Elle's hair, as he would Bridget's, and leaned back, with an arm around each woman. He grinned. He could get used to this.

Their bags finally came around on the carousel and Andy got a cart to carry it all.

"I'm parked in the deck, but close. Glad you remembered your sweater, Kelly. It's chilly this morning."

"I'm thrilled," she answered, and as they walked out of the terminal, she took a deep breath of the frosty morning air. It was clear, crisp and smog-free. The sky was a crystal blue. "Sweet home Alabama," Kelly said.

"I'd almost forgotten the sky gets this blue," Andy said.

They loaded up the truck and as Elle cranked it up, she said, "Andy, I hope you enjoy your stay with us. I'm so glad you'll be here for Christmas! We have a good time."

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said. Elle turned on to County Line Road and they started north.

"I don't live in Huntsville proper, I think I told you," she said. "I'm about 20 minutes from downtown, in Harvest. It's a little more rural."

Andy nodded. He was looking at the scenery. They had passed several fields that were green with what Kelly said was winter wheat. They were skirting the edge of a good-sized town, but a little ways after they crossed a major highway, they were in the country again, or at least that's how it looked to Andy.

They pulled into a little subdivision and as they approached one of the homes, Andy could see several vehicles parked along the street.

"Who all is here?" Kelly said. She spotted a familiar vehicle. "Oh Lord, it's the Homicide crew. I hope they left somebody at the phones!"

Elle laughed. "The guys from Narcotics said they'd take care of it. They wanted to welcome you home and bring breakfast."

"And that means I'll have enough food for a week. Well, bless them!" Kelly replied.

Andy wasn't sure he was ready for all this, but hey, they were all cops, right?

As the truck pulled into the driveway, the house emptied out. Kelly hopped out of the back seat and they clapped. They were a close-knit unit. She was surrounded by seven people, all hugging her and telling her how glad they were to have her back.

As the hubub died down, Kelly took Andy's arm. "Hey ya'll!" she said. "This is Lieutenant Andy Flynn, Major Crimes, LAPD! He's come with me to see how he likes Alabama!"

Andy found a warm welcome among Kelly's co-workers. They shook hands with him and told him how glad they were to meet him. He felt at home right away.

"O.K.!" said Casey, a burly guy. "Let's get this stuff unloaded so Kelly and Andy can get in here and eat! Coffee's on, by the way, Kellybean," he said.

"Thank the Lord!" she answered.

"Kellybean?" Andy grinned at her.

"That's what they call me. Kelly rhymes with 'jelly.' Get it?"

"I get it. Just never heard you mention it."

She shrugged. Somehow, a couple of co-workers separated her from Andy, and Shantina Jefferson, one of her favorite people, cornered her. "Where did you find him?" she asked.

Elle came up behind. "Don't you know a souvenir when you see one?" she teased.

"Honey, hush! I never picked up no souvenirs like that! Do they just grow 'em like that out there?" Shantina said.

Kelly laughed. "Would you believe he's a Jersey boy, originally?"

"Girl! Are you serious? I knew I'd been lookin' in all the wrong places. Looks like I may have to go to Jersey or California."

"You know, actually, there's a hot single guy in the Major Crimes unit at the LAPD. Detective David Gabriel. Hey Ellie! Reach in the truck and get me that red plastic bag!" Elle came back with the requested item and Kelly produced the LAPD charity calendar. She flipped to March. "Here he is," she said.

"Child! He is _fine_! And you didn't tell me?"

"Call Brenda Leigh Johnson and tell her you'd like to work there for a couple of months. Put the moves on him, sister!"

"He may just be worth getting on an airplane for." Shantina hated the thought of flying.

"He's a good guy. Needs a good, stable woman to cook for him, too," Kelly said.

"It's a thought. It is a thought."

Andy walked into Kelly's home. He looked around. It was designed to be welcoming and comfortable. Open and airy, it had a few prints on the walls, and thick persian-style rugs on the shining wood floors. The kitchen was large and roomy, with a dozen cabinets. She also had a deck and the house featured a shady front porch. Could he see himself living here? he thought, as he looked around. Yeah, he could.

The ladies all gathered in the kitchen, leaving the men to talk in the den. "I know Andy's telling some kind of outrageous story in there," Kelly said, laughing.

Cindy Dutton, a sergeant in the department, closed the kitchen door and said, "All right, girlfriend. Now tell us ALL about that hunk you brought home from Cali! Inquiring minds want to _know_!" Shantina had poured the coffee and all the girls were gathered at the kitchen table.

Kelly grinned. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Well, we know how you met, obviously. How did you start dating?" Cindy elaborated.

"Short version: I tackled this creep in a foot chase. He was a murder suspect. Bloody case. I'll tell you about it later. He had taken a couple of potshots at me, but missed. Anyway, we were rolling on the ground, fighting, and Andy and Tao and Sanchez, two of the other guys in the squad, hauled him off me and Andy got him upside the head with a right cross I'll remember all my days. Good Lord, but that man can throw a punch! So, I got up and was dusting myself off and he grabbed me and started raking me over the coals about going after the guy. I told him to turn me loose and bam! Just like that, he was kissing me!"

"Then what happened?" Shantina asked.

"He asked me out to dinner and I said O.K."

"Show 'em the calendar!" Shantina said.

Kelly laughed and brought out the charity calendar. The ladies looked through it, ooh-ing and aah-ing over the men therein. When they got to Andy's picture, they all squealed in delight.

"How do you keep your hands off him?" Cindy said.

"It ain't easy," Kelly answered, to more giggles and squeals. "Let me show you the picture their chief took at the charity ball. She's from Atlanta, you know."

"Oh, that's cool," said Lacey Mitchell, one of their lieutenants.

"Yeah, it was nice. So here's the pic." Kelly had it on her iPhone. "I'm going to have a print made of it for a frame, but you talk about the camera loving a face, that's the one."

Cindy took the phone. "Oh, Lord. I'm telling you, that man _does_ things for a uniform! Check out those blues! We only wish ours looked like that. And where did that dress come from, Kelly? Are you ready for Oscar night in that or what?" She passed the phone around.

"That dress is actually a designer and didn't cost me a dime. I'll tell you that story, too."

"How much does this man rent for by the hour, anyway?" Lacey asked. "Could we work something out, here? You know, pay as you play plan? Something?"

"I'll ask him," Kelly answered. She went to the kitchen door. "Hey Andy!" she yelled. "Somebody wants to know much you rent for by the hour?" The women were all laughing their heads off, and, after a short pause, so were the guys.

"Tell her she couldn't afford my rates!" he yelled back. More laughter in both rooms.

"I like him!" Lacey said.

"Where's he from, originally?" Cindy asked.

"Jersey," Kelly answered.

Cindy shrugged. "Well, I was gonna ask you what in the world you wanted with a Yankee, but one look and I think I figured it out!" They all laughed again.

"He's not so bad. Living out west mellowed him a little. He comes across as the stereotypical tough guy, but he's a sweetheart. Oh, he can be one more badass, but get past that and he's an absolute love. Everybody likes him. And he's a pit bull. Let him get his teeth in a case, and he will not turn it loose."

In the den, the guys were interested in Andy's recent cases, and how the LAPD handled various procedures. But Casey Malone brought up the question. "So how did you get Cool Hand Kelly to go out with you, anyway? I don't think she's dated anybody since she joined Homicide."

"I just asked her," Andy smirked. "I asked if she wanted to have dinner with me and she said she would. She even cooked."

"You lucky dawg!" said Jon Greene. "I wish my wife could cook like Kelly!"

"She made me this stuff called banana pudding one time. Awesome," Andy said.

Casey smacked his lips. "She brought that to the Fourth of July picnic last year. It was sooo good. Tasted like what my maw-maw makes."

"You people _do_ talk about food all the time!" Andy laughed. "So why do you call her Cool Hand Kelly?"

"Ever seen her in an interview? She's cool. Most of the time, she doesn't get excited. Sometimes, it even looks like she's bored. Works on the perps, though," Jon answered.

Andy thought about the Mohler and Kerr interviews. "Yeah, I've seen her work. And you know, except for snakes, which terrify her, I don't think she's scared of anything. She stared down a couple of real bad boys while she was in L.A. I thought one time she was gonna blow a suspect's head off, but no way she was scared of the little punk."

Morris Cross, another of the lieutenants, laughed at that. "I know it. I worked with her in the vice unit, which also deals with domestic violence. One time she was dealing with this guy Casey's size for DV. He was about half drunk and flailing around, you know, tryin' to throw a punch. She ducked under his arms, grabbed his ear and walked him to the cruiser like that! Looked like a mama draggin' a real big two year old, and just givin' him holy hell the whole way! One of the guys got him cuffed and she threw him in the back of the patrol car. But she stood there and chewed his tail out seven ways from Sunday. You should have seen it."

The mental picture alone was enough to send Andy into howls of laughter. "What was she sayin' to the guy?" he asked.

Morris laughed harder. "That was what was so funny. You know, one of us woulda been telling him what kind of deep crap he was in. But Kellybean? She was sayin', 'Do you think your Mama wants to know her son uses women for a punching bag? I know she raised you better than that! You are a shame and a disgrace to your family! I know your Mama! She's a fine woman! How dare you disrespect her like this? You oughta be ashamed, but you don't even have the guts to be ashamed! Big man like you, pickin' a fight with a woman not even five feet tall! Now your Mama has to see your face in the paper and on TV because this is a felony charge. Now get in that car and think about what you've done, you lowdown excuse for a human being!'"

At this, Andy was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe. He could just see Kelly in a full raging temper at the guy. "I told her one time the nuns in elementary school didn't scare me like she did when she started in on somebody."

This brought another round of laughter. "Yeah, she's got that teacher thing down," Jon said. "She will _stare_ at you..."

"And make you feel like crawling back under that rock," Andy said.

"You've seen the look," Morris said. "But she and the other women in the squad take care of us, now. My wife told me she slept better at night knowing these ladies were on the job with us."

"Speaking of which," Casey said, "Don't let Kelly or Shantina see me eating this cinnamon roll."

"What's the matter with a sweet roll?" Andy asked.

"Plenty when you're diabetic," Casey answered. "And Kelly's and Shantina's dads both died fairly young from it from not taking care of themselves, so they think it's their job to keep me on the straight and narrow." He looked nervously in the direction of the kitchen and devoured the rest of the pastry, much to the amusement of the rest. He wiped his mouth and fingers. "Gettin' rid of the evidence," he said.

Meanwhile, the ladies were being regaled by tales from the LAPD involving Andy and Provenza.

Lacey wiped her eyes. "Oh Lord, Kelly. That Provenza sounds like a walking disaster area!"

"He can be. He's got this gut instinct you want on a case and a nose for bullcrap like a bloodhound. Most of the time. But get a woman involved and it all goes out the window. And he carries Andy right along with him. Brenda told me about the time they were in this church and a sex addicts support group was meeting in the corner, and Andy and Provenza were waving at the girls in the group."

"No way!" Cindy said. "That is just so wrong on so many levels."

"I know it, and you'd think the big dope would have learned by now! But he will let Provenza talk him into anything. Nobody else can do it. Anybody else and he's suspicious as an old tomcat. I don't know. I think he feels like he has to be around in case Provenza really gets himself into hot water and no one's around to pull him out."

"So, how does Brenda deal with those two?" Shantina asked.

"With Alka-Seltzer," Kelly answered, and laughter filled the kitchen again. "Seriously, she respects both of them so much and wants them on her team enough that she's willing to do any amount of tap dancing to keep them out of trouble. But she's that way with every member of that team. She's always looking out for her people. But they have so many more levels of bureaucracy than we do. She said they could take a lesson from us on that one."

"Yeah, sounds like it," Lacey said. "That Pope sounds like a piece of work."

"Well, you never know quite where you stand with him, which is what unnerves me. He's generally supportive of Brenda, regardless. But he has an ego, and does not like to be wrong about anything. Especially when he has a read on a case that's different from Brenda's. Taylor is mostly just looking out for himself, but you guys should meet Sharon Raydor. She's captain of Internal Affairs. Brenda calls her 'that woman.' They hate each other. I managed to keep it civil with her, but she does have the gift of rubbing people exactly the wrong way. She's good at her job, and tough as nails, but man! The LAPD manual is her guide to life."

Shantina shuddered. "IA. Can't stand those people. They have their uses, but they make my blood run cold."

"So when does Andy start to work here?" Lacey said.

"What are you talking about?" Kelly answered.

Lacey shook her head. "Don't start that. There's no way he's staying in L.A. Not permanently, anyway. He came to Alabama with you, for crying out loud! He may go back to Cali for a little while, but he will be back here."

"Brenda said something along the same lines."

"Smart woman. And we have at least one opening coming up. Our own Sergeant Cynthia P. Dutton is preggers and she'll be taking maternity leave starting in mid-April."

"Pregnant? You didn't tell me, Cindy! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Kelly. It was really kind of a surprise for me and Landon. We thought we'd exhausted all the fertility possibilities, then bang! I turn up pregnant."

Kelly hugged her friend. "That is so wonderful. I know how you've wanted kids. How marvelous!"

"We're kind of tickled about it."

"I know you are."

* * *

The crowd decided they needed to get back to work and leave Kelly and Andy to rest and unpack. As they left, both thanked the crew for the food and their welcome.

When all was quiet, Elle said, "Well, my dear Aunt Kelly, I'm going home and leave you two alone for a while. I've taken most of my stuff back, so I'll have it ready to move to my apartment. Thanks again for letting me stay here."

"Honey, you've done me a huge favor. By the way, have you even seen Perky this morning?"

"He's under the bed."

"That's what I figured. I knew he wouldn't come out with that mob here, so I didn't even try to speak to him. But Elliebelle, you've been a godsend the past few months. I knew I didn't have to worry about my house a minute, or Perky, with you here. I owe you a huge favor for this."

"No, you know I was glad to do it." She hugged her aunt. "I love you, Kelly."

"I love you too, sweetie pie. And I will talk to my sister. Tell your Ma-Maw I'll call her later today." Their mother lived with Kelly's sister.

"O.K. But Mama has already said she wants you two at the house for supper. About six."

"We'll be there."

Elle turned to Andy. "I'm so glad to meet you, and that you came home with Kelly." She threw her arms around a very surprised Andy. He returned the hug.

"I'm glad I'm here, too," he said.

"Later! I'm outta here!" Elle answered.

After she left, Kelly closed the door and sighed. "Now to find my cat." She went to the bedroom. "Perky! Perky! Come to Mama!" she called. Andy watched from the doorway.

From under the bed, a nose appeared, followed by a lithe, solid brown cat. He had a white throat and paws. He looked at her and meowed.

"There's my Perky boy!" she said and scooped the cat up into her arms. He sniffed her over completely and then began a monstrous purr.

"Perky?" Andy queried.

"Short for 'Percolator.' Because he's coffee-colored, and when he was little, his purr sounded like a coffeepot perking."

"O.K. Works for me," he said.

Kelly sat on the bed and loved on her kitty while Andy undressed. He intended to get in that very comfortable-looking bed and take a long snooze. The bed was obviously an antique, with tall, spooled posts. A handmade quilt covered it. He sat on the bed and looked at the room. The floors were hardwood in here, as well, with small oval, braided rugs on either side of the bed. The walls were a warm cream and the rest of the furniture was antique, also. The curtains were heavy cream linen over the blinds. "Where did this furniture come from?" he asked.

"Belonged to my grandmother. The chest, dresser and bed all are part of the set. The nightstands were hers, too. My great-aunt made this quilt. I helped her. I went down to her house one summer and spent two weeks and she had the quilting frame set up in her living room. Her eyesight was getting bad, so I pieced the blocks on the sewing machine and then three of her sisters came out and we all quilted it. But Aunt Annie cut out every piece of it herself and showed me how to do it."

"Don't quilt patterns have names?" he asked, remembering something he'd seen on public television years before.

"They do. This is called a log cabin. It's one of the old patterns." The blocks were shades of brown, cream, pale yellow and pale green. Kelly cuddled her cat. Andy looked at her face. The tension was gone. Kelly was clearly at complete peace with herself and the world. He could feel a serenity stealing over him, as well. Something about L.A. did put you a little on edge all the time. Even outside the city, there was a sense of unease. But here, where you couldn't hear the traffic on the highway, where you could actually hear the birds singing, there was a sense of rest.

Andy pulled the quilt and blanket back and burrowed under the covers. The bed was supremely comfortable and he fluffed a pillow and sprawled full length. "This is the life," he said. "I could sleep in this bed for a year."

"I'm about that tired, myself," Kelly replied. She released Perky, who immediately migrated to the foot of the bed. She found a nightshirt and put it on and lay down. "I'd forgotten how comfy my own bed is," she said. "Mwah."

"Back at ya."

Both slept much longer than Kelly would have thought possible. She got up and dressed, letting Andy sleep on. She looked at the clock: 3:30. Wow. Well, there was a little daylight left, and as warm as it was, for December anyway, she wanted to sit on her deck. It would be plenty warm in the sunshine. Especially with a cup of coffee. She reheated a cup from the morning and went to sit on the deck. She had a glider that had a gentle motion and sat on it, with her coffee, just listening to the silence.

The back door opened and Andy walked outside. "So this is where you were hiding," he said with a smile.

"Come here and sit with me," she said. He did so and looked interestedly at her coffee. "Want some?" she offered. They shared the coffee and sat in the glider.

Andy was almost afraid to say anything. The quiet was so wonderful. He could hear birds and the occasional car going by, and the sounds of children playing somewhere in the neighborhood.

"Penny for your thoughts," Kelly said softly.

"It's been a long time since I've been anywhere this peaceful," he said. "You'd never know we were 20 minutes from downtown Huntsville."

"That's why I bought the house out here. I'm close to anywhere I want to go, but it's still the country out here, in a lot of ways."

"Casey said you designed this house," Andy said.

"Well, sort of. I had a list of floorplans to choose from, and I asked for a few modifications, like walk-in closets, more cabinet space in the kitchen, that kind of thing. It was worth it. I've enjoyed my house."

"It's a great place. I can see why you wanted to come back."

"We'll walk around the neighborhood tomorrow if the weather's decent. And you get to meet Mama tonight."

"Would you believe I'm a little nervous about meeting your mom?" he said.

Kelly chuckled. "Don't be. She'll love you the minute she lays eyes on you."

"What about your sister?" Andy knew Kelly's relationship with her sister Elaine could be a strained one.

She shrugged. "Elaine is going to do what she's going to do. I'm glad Elle isn't much like her."

Andy laughed. "So who is Elle like?"

"My paternal grandmother. Kind, generous, loving, sweet, you name it. She is a little spacey, which she does get from Elaine, but she's the sweetest child you ever met. And Mama likes good-looking men, so you'll rate high with her."

"That's a comfort," Andy snorted. He stretched. "I don't remember the last time I slept that well. Everything is just so quiet. I don't feel like I need to sleep with one eye open all the time."

"That is a good feeling. I'm glad you're able to sleep well here. You really need the rest."

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Always looking after me."

"Yep."


	20. Chapter 20: We Are Family

**A/N:** As always, thank you SO MUCH for the reviews! I got two today and it just made my whole day! Thank you again. Meeting the parents is bad enough when you're in your 20s. How do you explain being 55, with two ex-wives, two kids and 10 years in AA? Understandably, Andy's a tad nervous. Hope you enjoy it! Please continue to R&R!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer._

* * *

**Chapter 20: We Are Family**

"It is so good to be driving my own car again," Kelly said. "The one in LA was OK, but this is my baby."

"Elle must have driven it while you were gone," Andy answered.

"Yeah, she did. Not exclusively, but enough to keep the fluids circulating and the tires from rotting." She looked over at him. His long legs were a little cramped. "You can put the seat back a little, to give yourself some more room," she said.

Andy did ease the seat back and said, "That's better." He sighed.

"What is it? Still nervous about meeting Mama?"

He laughed. "Well, yeah. It's been a long while since I've done the whole 'meet the parents' thing. Except for Brenda's parents. And that was a whole different issue."

"I heard about that cross-country trip in their RV," Kelly said.

Andy shook his head and closed his eyes. "Oh, God. Don't remind me. I swear, Provenza can cause more trouble without even trying! He's good, don't get me wrong, and he's my friend, but he's gotten me into more trouble with the chief. In the five years I've been on Brenda's crew, I've been in more crap because of him than I was in my previous 20 years on the force. I mean, if I screw up, that's on me, but it bugs me when I get into it and it's not me."

Kelly laughed. "And the drug-muling flight attendants? Whose fault was that?"

He shuddered. "You had to bring that up, didn't you? _That_ was a moment of weakness. I should have known better. But I'm a guy and no matter how old a guy is, when a cute chick starts flirting with him and acting interested, it's hard not to fall for it."

"And the fact that the other one was flirting so with Provenza didn't even tip you off that it might be something else?"

"It should have, yeah, but you know as well as I do, that in this business, you meet all kinds, and I mean, it's L.A. Cute chicks go for guys like Provenza all the time, just so they can have a place to live. But I should have gotten the hint to start with. You're right. I was just…" his voice trailed off.

"Lonely and horny? Seems like I've heard that before," Kelly teased.

"God, both barrels? You never run out of ammo, do you?"

"Not if I can help it. But look at it this way: at least you didn't have to hide behind a cow-patterned throw pillow because you'd taken a Viagra."

"Brenda told you _everything_, didn't she? I swear, that was unreal. I was pissed off at Provenza in the beginning, but then I saw what was going on with him and just got embarrassed for the man. I mean, how often do you run into that kind of situation?"

"Hopefully, never again," Kelly chuckled. "But let me warn you. Mama is a plain-spoken woman. She's not like Brenda's mom. She says exactly what she thinks and her tact filter stopped working twenty years ago. Not that it ever worked _that_ well to start with. But my sister needs someone around her who doesn't buy the bullcrap."

"So what's up with your sister, anyway?"

"Elaine was a single mom for a long time. She and Ellie's dad never got married. In fact, they broke up before Ellie was born. It was a bad situation. Then, when Ellie was eight, Elaine got married and Thad, her husband, adopted Ellie. It was O.K. until Elaine got pregnant and had a son. She's stupid about that kid and Ellie sort of got ignored. Now, apparently to compensate for her lack of interest while completely absorbed with Samuel, she's way overprotective of Elle and she's gained about 80 pounds, and has health issues and it's just a mess."

"Wow. What about her husband?"

"Thad's a really good guy and all, but I'll never know why Elaine thought that marrying an engineer would be the ideal man for her. She's musical and artistic and Thad, well, he's an engineer. She was looking for financial stability, though. But she quit teaching when Sam was born and now she homeschools him. That's fine but now she's so uptight about everything. She's determined that Sam is going to be a paragon and he's an OK kid, but he's weird. And every time Elle stays out a little late, Elaine is just convinced she's going to come home pregnant or with an STD. Elle's 23, though, and even though she is no doubt, a little ditzy, she's got plenty of common sense. I think Elaine's common sense got thrown out with one of Sam's diapers at some point."

Andy laughed at that. "Elle is great. And she's beautiful! Does she model or anything? She's got the looks for it."

"She did when she was young. But she's not really interested in it now. I think she's going to go ahead and get her masters in education and teach like most of the rest of us. That's why her keeping house for me was so good for her. It was responsibility, and it got her out of her parents' house. She said she'll be glad to come back when we go to the mountains and the beach."

"So you two got really close after Sam was born?"

"Yeah. She needed someone who would pay attention to just her. Suddenly, it was like she didn't exist. She was a little ghost in the house. I could have strangled her mother. So, I took over. I raised that young'un. She's mine, as far as I'm concerned. Now Thad always paid attention to her, but his parents were just impossible. Sam was _the_ grandchild, the golden grandson. Ellie wasn't even on their radar anymore. Of course, Mama and Daddy always doted on her, but it was a real shock to go from being an only child, to a big sister and then have your mom, who had always been attentive, just disconnect from you. I always thought Elaine needed to see a therapist about that. And now, she's got the nerve to be jealous because Elle and I are so much closer than they are." Kelly sighed. "But don't worry. Most of this stuff won't come down on you. I just thought you needed the background."

Andy shrugged. "Every family has its issues. With eight kids, they're just multiplied eight times. I'll tell you all about it sometime. You wouldn't believe some of the crap that's gone on in my family. Grandma Flynn would be rolling in her grave."

"I would have liked to have met that lady," Kelly said.

"I'll introduce you to my sister Caroline. She's just like Grandma," Andy laughed.

"Can't wait." Kelly pulled into a driveway. "We're here. Brace yourself," she said.

Andy took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Elle answered their knock and she hugged Kelly, just as if she hadn't seen her that morning. Andy got a hug and a peck on the cheek, to his surprise, but it put a grin on his face.

Samuel was sitting in the den floor, playing a hand-held video game. "Hi Sam," Kelly said.

The boy looked at her. "Hello, Kelly."

Kelly laughed. "You act like you saw me yesterday instead of six months ago."

He shrugged and went back to his game. Kelly looked at Andy and whispered, "I told you he's weird."

Elaine came bustling in from the kitchen. She hugged her sister. "So good to have you back, Kelly!"

"Good to be back. You have no idea. This is Andy Flynn. Andy, this is my sister, Elaine."

"So nice to meet you, Andy," Elaine said, shaking hands with him. "Supper should be ready in a few minutes. Please make yourself at home."

"Nice to meet you too, Elaine. Thank you," he answered.

Kelly was eyeing her sister. Every line in Elaine's body radiated jealousy. Obviously, she was wondering how in the world her little sister had managed to snag this man. "Come and meet Mama," Kelly said.

Jewel Hargrove was sitting in a kitchen chair. She was about five feet tall and had snapping blue eyes that seemed to see everything.

"Mama, this is Andy Flynn. Andy, this is my mom, Jewel Hargrove."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Hargrove," Andy said, as he turned the charm on "high."

Madge took Andy's proffered hand and looked him over. "Nice to meet you, too." She looked at him again, all but making him squirm under her gaze. Now he knew where Kelly got the "stare" from. She nodded. "I reckon you'll do just fine. Help me into the living room, would you? This chair is making my back ache."

"Yes, ma'am," Andy said, taking Jewel's elbow.

She took her cane with her. "I hate this blasted thing, but since I broke my hip, I've got to have it. I'll sit in this wingback chair. I can get out of it all right. You sit right there on that side of the sofa so I can talk to you."

"O.K.," he said, helping Jewel to the chair and seating himself where indicated.

"Now then. Kelly says you grew up in New Jersey."

"That's right, I did."

Jewel nodded. "So with a last name like Flynn, I'm assumin' you're Irish Catholic."

"Yes. And Italian on my mother's side."

"Well, that's all right. At least Kelly didn't bring some heathen home." She looked down at Sam, who was still absorbed in his game. She poked him with her cane. "Samuel! Put your earphones on or take that thing in another room. You know that bleeping and blooping drives me crazy."

Sam looked at his grandmother as though she heralded plague and disaster. "Yes ma'am," he muttered and found his earbuds and plugged in.

"I swear, there's something wrong with that child. Never has two words to say for himself." She again turned the stare on to Andy. "I have to say, Kelly picked a good-looking one. She sent Elliebelle a copy of a picture of you two at that charity ball. You make a uniform look good, that's for sure."

Andy grinned sheepishly. He wasn't used to having anyone discuss his looks quite so frankly. "Well, thank you, ma'am, but I thought Kelly was the best looking one in that photo."

Jewel grinned at him. "Diplomatic, too. And you're a lieutenant on the force. How long have you been a police officer?"

"Twenty-five years," Andy answered. "I started out as a beat cop."

"Nothin' wrong with that. Kelly did, too. No tellin' how many miles she covered in that police car. She wore one out. I feel better about her now that she's not on a regular beat and just investigates crimes. But I sure enough worried about her when she was driving around in the middle of the night to who knows where."

Andy smiled. "I think all parents worry about their kids on the beat. You always worry about them."

"Do you have children, Andy?"

"Two. Ben is 19 and Bridget is 17."

"Do you see them? Are you on good terms with them? Pay your child support on time?"

"I do see them and we get along pretty well. And I've never missed a payment." Andy was a little surprised at the line of questioning, but he figured Kelly's mom would ask eventually, so might as well get it all out of the way, now.

"What happened between you and your first wife?"

Before Andy could answer, Kelly came into the den. "Mama, he's not a murder suspect."

"I know it," Jewel answered. "He's a _relationship_ suspect." Andy couldn't help but laugh at that statement.

"A relationship suspect. Great day," Kelly answered, going back into the kitchen.

"Well, he is! And he's grown. If you don't think I need to know, then tell me it's none of my business, Andy." She looked shrewdly at him. "If you don't want to talk about it, then it must have been something like a drinking problem. Am I right?"

"Well, yes ma'am, it was. But I'm ten years sober and go to AA meetings."

"Fine. That settles that, then. If you've taken care of it, that's all that matters."

Suddenly, Andy had a great deal of sympathy for suspects under the gimlet eye of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson.

* * *

"Well, he's hot, that's for sure," Elaine said to her sister, as they sat in the kitchen.

"He is that," Kelly answered. "But he's good to me, which is what's important."

"True. Elle said you had a designer dress to wear for that charity gala." There was the jealousy again.

"Only because the designer does this for the women in the Major Crimes unit."

"Must be nice."

"It was. He surely didn't have to do a dress for me, since I'm not officially a member of the force. But he was kind enough to do it." Kelly hoped her sister wouldn't spend the evening making little barbed comments.

Elaine shrugged. "Well, I guess you needed something to wear."

Kelly laughed. "That's always helpful. It was so good to have Ellie taking care of the house. I knew I didn't have to worry about it and the place was immaculate."

"I'm glad to hear that. She enjoyed being there. She liked being away from us."

"Ahh, that's normal, Elaine. She's 23. Time for her to start spreading her wings a little. She even kept the plants watered, so I was tickled."

"I just worry about her," Elaine said.

"Why, for heaven's sake? She's never done anything to give you a minute's worry about her."

"She has a lot of strange friends."

"I'll ask her about them. See what's up."

"She won't tell you anything. I wish you would run some background checks on them."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Elaine, you know I can't do that. Not legally. But I will talk to her."

"Well, she's always listened to you anyway, so maybe you can get through to her."

"I'll see what I can do. How are you doing on that new medication for your depression?"

Elaine shrugged. "Oh, it's all right. Thad says I'm easier to get along with, but I don't know."

Kelly had a secret suspicion her sister rather enjoyed being depressed because of the attention it got her. Elaine liked it when people inquired about her health and felt sorry for her. No two ways about it: she needed counseling.

"Mama seems to like Andy," Elaine said.

"I'm glad. I kind of thought she would. He knows how to turn on the charm and old ladies usually love him," Kelly chuckled.

"Well, that charm certainly worked on you," Elaine answered.

"What's got you all worked up, sister?"

"He's so much older than you."

"Twelve years, yeah, but it's no big deal. He doesn't look it, so why worry?"

Elaine sniffed, "I heard him tell Mama he had a drinking problem."

"_Had_ being the operative word. He's been sober ten years. Goes to meetings regularly. But he never got a DUI or anything. Brenda Johnson's husband is an FBI agent and has not one, but two DUIs in his record. But Fritz is clean and sober, too. I wouldn't be dating Andy if I didn't think he had addressed the drinking. But he has. Why are you looking for flaws?"

"Because maybe you don't see them."

"Oh, I see them," Kelly said. "You don't work with someone for six months in those close quarters and not see their flaws. But you know as well as I do that you put up with flaws in each other."

"And, of course, when you're sleeping together, you overlook some things," Elaine answered primly.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Elaine, would you please take that corncob out of your butt? You're acting like I'm some kind of bimbo! I'm 43 for God's sake! How did you get to be so uptight?"

"Morally, you know it's wrong."

"Agreed. I know. But it's also none of your business. It's not like I can get pregnant or anything."

"That's not the point. It's a question of morality."

"My morality, not yours. I mean, if we started making out in the middle of your living room floor, that would be one thing. But I don't ask what you and Thad do, or don't do, in the privacy of your bedroom, and I'd appreciate the same courtesy from you. You have two children. I'm not one of them."

"No, you just act like one of them belongs to you, that's all."

"I'm not getting into that with you, Elaine. Not tonight. I've never said an ugly word about you to Ellie. And I won't."

Fortunately, Elle came into the kitchen and said, "Well, I'd say Ma-Maw has decided she likes Andy. She's holding his hand in there, and telling him all about Pa-Paw."

Kelly smiled. "That is a good thing. I'm glad they're getting along."

"How do you like Andy, mom?" Elle asked.

"Oh, he's O.K., I guess. I haven't really talked to him. Your Ma-Maw has been monopolizing him."

"Well, I _have_ talked to him," Elle said, "and I think he's just wonderful. I love him already."

Elaine was going to make a smart remark, but thought better of it, in the spirit of family unity. And she had to admit, Kelly looked so happy. She was glowing. Elaine wondered how long it had been since she had been that happy, herself. Then Thad came in. Good old safe, predictable, sweet Thad.

"Kelly! So good to see you! Did you have a good flight in?"

She hugged her brother-in-law. "We did. You must have had to work late."

"Yeah, we're trying to get that contract finished. Hi honey. Have you had a good day?" Thad kissed his wife.

"It's been busy," she said.

"I know it must have been. Hey, sweetie," he greeted Elle and hugged her. "Was the truck big enough for everything your aunt brought home?"

Elle laughed. "Yeah, Daddy. Plenty big. Thanks for letting me have it today."

"Oh, you're welcome. Is there anything I can do to help you out, honey?" he asked Elaine.

"No, Kelly and I have it pretty well taken care of."

"Where's Ma-Maw?" he said, looking around.

"In there, holding hands with my boyfriend," Kelly laughed.

Thad smiled. "I might have known." He went into the den and introduced himself to Andy. Elaine watched the meeting and it was a good thing Thad didn't see her face. Her discontent was plain. She was mentally comparing her husband to this hot guy her sister brought home, and he fell short in every department.

Kelly saw the look on her sister's face and shook her head. Thad was a heck of a nice guy and she liked him. He had adopted her niece, treated her like she belonged to him from birth and put up with Elaine - treated her like a queen. That alone qualified him for sainthood, in Kelly's book. But Thad was an average-looking guy with a little potbelly and a receding hairline. Not ugly at all – just average.

Andy was at least four inches taller than Thad, fit, with a head full of hair. His dark eyes sparkled with life and mischief, and he had a restless energy about him. Thad had always reminded Kelly of a gentle collie who loved everyone and looked at the world through his mild, patient blue eyes. She hoped Elaine would learn to truly appreciate her husband one of these days. He deserved it.

"Kelly?" her mother called.

She went into the living room. "Yes, Mama. What's up?"

"Did you see any of the Alabama-Auburn game?"

"A little of it. I looked up the highlights online. I had to work, so I missed part of it." Kelly grinned at Thad, who was an Auburn graduate. "I'm not gonna crack on your team, Thad. I know you've had enough to put up with from Mama and my sister about the game. Did you and Sam go to your parents' to watch the game?"

"Yeah, it was a little more comfortable than watching it here," Thad answered.

"I imagine so. How many of the cousins showed up?"

"Three," Elle said. "So there were five of us altogether. Yeah, Daddy would have been pretty uncomfortable, with the five of us screaming 'Roll Tide!' every few minutes."

Andy rolled his eyes. "Well, I was hearing that, too. Kelly was yelling that and jumping up and down. Scared the crap out of me. And she had on this weird houndstooth baseball cap. What's with that, anyway?"

Kelly bristled. "That's my houndstooth check Alabama cap, Andrew, and it is _not_ weird! Alabama fans wear houndstooth check in homage to the greatest coach ever, Paul 'Bear' Bryant. Get educated, boy!"

"You'd better quit now," Thad advised. "These Alabama fans are rabid."

Kelly laughed at that. "Unlike you Auburn fans. But I have to say, Thaddeus, you're the exception. You're one of the nice kind. And that was a beautiful pass that little sophomore quarterback threw in the fourth quarter. He's going to be a real star by the time he's a senior, I think. Fantastic arm. We'll have to watch out for him."

"Yeah, we'll have to see how he comes along," Thad answered.

"Well, I think it's time to eat," Elaine announced. Andy assisted Jewel up from her chair and they all gathered in the dining room. After Thad said grace, they ate. Elaine was a good cook and had a large meal fixed. Andy watched as Kelly happily combined the field peas and creamed corn on her plate, and then crumbled cornbread on top. She demolished the pile, hardly saying a word. He was familiar with the food, since Kelly had talked him into going to her soul food restaurant with her.

"Where did the corn come from?" Kelly asked.

"Out of Charlotte Hardy's garden," Elaine answered. "You know she always gives me a bushel, it seems like, so I cut it off and froze it."

"It's good. Are these her peas, too?"

"They are, and I helped her pick them!" Elle said proudly. "She said we were doing her a favor by taking them off her hands. The squash came out of Mama's garden."

"It's good, too. I love this casserole. It's the three-cheese, right?"

Elaine nodded. "Yeah. It's different." She looked over at Andy. "How is everything?" she asked.

"Just delicious, Elaine. Thank you so much for cooking for us. We really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Kelly, you must have fixed sweet tea for Andy at some point. He's drinking it like he's had it all his life."

"Wish I had," Andy answered. "First time Kelly made it for me, I thought it was the best stuff I'd ever tasted. And she doesn't like it!"

"Well, Kelly's always been a little different," Elaine said.

"Speak for yourself, sister," Kelly shot back. She turned to her mother. "I tried to fix a lot of our best dishes for Andy. He can say he's had peach cobbler, banana pudding and pecan pie. So he's hit the high points," she chuckled. "He thinks we're all addicted to sugar and all we talk about is food."

"He's right," Jewel said. "Well, that and college football. It's not a good hen party until you talk about all the recipes you've been trying lately."

"Well, _I_ made dessert tonight," Elle announced.

"Did you now, Elliebelle?" Kelly said. "And what delicacy have you produced?"

"Coconut cake. I know you love it."

Kelly grinned. "I was going to get seconds, but I believe I'll pass in favor of coconut cake. Andy, do you like coconut?"

"Yeah, it's good," he said.

"White cake or yellow?" Kelly asked.

"Yellow. I used Granny's cake recipe," she answered, speaking of Jewel's mother. "And _your_ Ma-Maw's frosting recipe."

"Oh, I know it's prime, then."

"I'll start a pot of decaf," Thad said.

"Thanks. You're a love, Thad," Kelly answered.

When the meal was over, Elle brought out a gorgeous coconut cake.

"Ellie, it looks like it should be on the cover of 'Southern Living,'" Kelly said.

"I hope it's good. Mama helped me."

"It should be fine, then. Your mama has always been a great baker."

"She gets that from her Granny," Jewel put in.

Elle cut generous cake slices for everyone. "Now Andy, you'd better like this, or I'm gonna be heartbroken!" she said.

He grinned at her. "It looks great."

Kelly laughed. "Elliebelle, I think you're crushing on my man!"

Elle put her hands on her hips in a gesture so like Kelly, Andy was hard put not to crack up. "Oh, I am not!" she said. Then, she went to stand behind Andy's chair and put her arms around his neck. "I just like him, that's all. He's made you so happy!" She rested her chin on the top of his head. It was just in her nature for Elle to be so affectionate, and since Bridget really wasn't the touchy-feely sort, the gesture pleased Andy no end and it was written all over his face.

Kelly winked at her niece. Elle had the ability to make people love her without even trying and it was obvious she had gained yet another fan in Andy Flynn.

"Where will we be for Christmas Day, Elaine?" Kelly asked.

"Over at Aunt Elizabeth's. Just about everybody is getting to come this year, so there should be, what, about forty or so of us?"

Kelly thought a moment and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right. Forty-one including Andy."

"Big crowd," he said.

Elle laughed. "Yeah, but with all the aunts and uncles, ten first cousins and all their spouses and kids, it's quite a collection."

"We have crowds like that just when my brothers and sisters get together," he said.

"Andy's number four of eight," Kelly explained.

Elle grimaced. "Honestly? I'm glad there's just two of us. I don't know what I'd do with seven siblings. Go crazy, probably."

"I felt like it a few times," Andy confessed.

The rest of the evening concluded without further sparks between Kelly and her sister and she was grateful. As they were driving home, Andy said, "You know what that niece of yours told me?"

"Nothing that comes out of that child's mouth would surprise me," Kelly answered.

"She said that we might as well go ahead and get married while I'm here."

Kelly snickered. "You can always count on my sweet pea to get straight to the point. Wonder where she gets that from? What did you say?"

"That after two marriages, I wanted to make sure I got it right."

"Fair enough. And what was her answer?"

"She slugged me in the arm and told me not to take you for granted."

"That's my baby," Kelly laughed.

"Do you think I take you for granted?" Andy asked.

"Heavens, no. And whatever we do, I want you to be sure and comfortable with your decision."

"Yeah, me too."

"I just want to get home, get a shower and hit the sack. I am _so_ tired. But it's been a good day. Mama gave you her seal of approval, so you're all right."

"Your mom is something else. 'A relationship suspect.' That still cracks me up," he chuckled.

"Heaven help us, I know it."

Kelly did shower and went straight to bed. Andy fell asleep in front of the television, but she dimly sensed it when he came to bed at some point. She instinctively curled into the warmth of his body and sighed contentedly at the hard strength of his chest against her back.

Andy watched Kelly sleep this time and thought about how much he loved her and needed her. He knew he wanted her around from now on. What was he willing to do? Anything – up to and including marriage. Surely, the third time would be the charm.


	21. Chapter 21: Always on a Mountain

**A/N:** Once again, thank you all so much for the kind R&Rs. Keep 'em coming! I appreciate each one.

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer._

* * *

**Chapter 21: Always on a Mountain**

"You remembered to pack swimming trunks, didn't you?" Kelly asked Andy, as she unlocked the door to her cousin's cabin in the Georgia mountains.

"Yeah, I've got 'em. I'm looking forward to getting into that hot tub, too," he answered.

"I know I am. There's not too many things that are as relaxing."

The cabin was cozy and Kelly's cousin, whom Andy would meet at Christmas, had left complete instructions on starting a fire, along with brochures for local attractions. Kelly knew the cabin was rented most of the time, so she was glad to get it for them.

"Wow. This is really nice," Andy said.

"Yeah, I knew it was. I've been wanting to stay here, and this was just a great chance to do it."

Andy nodded as he looked out on the deck. "It's so close to the town, but seems like it's out in the middle of nowhere."

"I think that's part of the charm. We're only about five miles from town, so everything is close, but there's nothing right nearby." They settled in and Andy got a fire started. He was proud he did it without catching the rest of the cabin on fire.

Kelly was browsing through brochures. "Oh, this sounds like fun," she said.

"What?"

"There's a narrow-gauge railroad in town and you can catch the train and it will take you through the mountains. The tour is three hours and includes lunch."

"That does sound pretty cool. Maybe we could do that tomorrow or the next day."

"That's what I was thinking." Kelly watched as Andy prowled around the cabin, looking at pictures and finally settling in next to her on the sofa with the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. She smiled at him. In the week they had been back in Alabama, he had not had even a hint of a headache. He was sleeping soundly all night and the dark circles of stress and fatigue under his eyes were gone.

"What's making you look at me like that?" he said.

"Oh, nothing. I can just tell you've gotten a lot of rest and you feel so much better."

He squeezed her hand. "You're good for me," he said.

"Am I now?" she asked.

"No doubt," he answered. He resumed reading, as did Kelly, and in a few minutes, he had dozed off. He didn't do that in Los Angeles. She suspected his body was catching up on a year's worth of sleep debt, at least.

When Andy woke up, he saw he had a light blanket over his shoulders and he wasn't wearing his sneakers. He smiled. Kelly was looking after him again. She heard him stirring and came into the den. "I've got the stuff for hot cocoa. Want a cup?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," he said. A few minutes later, Kelly brought him a mug of cocoa and they sat and watched television. This was just so domestic and homey and all the things Andy thought he didn't really want when he was a gruff, loner bachelor. But he had acquired a taste for it in a hurry.

* * *

Kelly was loading the dishwasher after dinner when her cell rang. It was Brenda. "Hey, Kelly. I'm just callin' to check on you and Andy. How's he doing?"

"Hey Brenda. Much, much better. No headaches and he's sleeping like a rock at night. We're at my cousin's cabin in Georgia and he was sitting on the sofa reading and zonked out. You know, that's just not like him."

"No it's not, but it has to be good for him. Bless his heart, I was so worried about him. He just didn't look like himself. But I had a feeling that getting him out of here and where you could fuss over him and love on him would work wonders. Sounds like it has."

Kelly chuckled. "I think just being away from all that stress has done it. But I enjoy fussing over him and lovin' on him. And I think he likes it, too, but you'd never get him to say it out loud. Or not easily, anyway."

That got a laugh. "Probably not, but I think Andy would take to being spoiled real easy."

"Oh, I know that's right. He told me his Grandma Flynn used to spoil him. Explains why he's so rotten and sorry now. So he's just fallen right in with it."

Brenda was giggling. "You're right. That's been his problem all these years. He just needed a woman to spoil him like his grandmother did. If I'd known that five years ago, I'd have had one of my buddies from Atlanta to come in and fuss over him. He'd have been a heck of a lot easier to get along with."

"He can be a little prickly," Kelly said.

"No doubt. OH! Had to tell you. Claire, you know, Fritzie's kooky sister? Well, she blew into town two days ago, and she was on the hunt for Andy Flynn. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed telling her he was spending Christmas in Alabama with his lady love."

An evil grin crossed Kelly's face. "Would you think I'm awful if I said how much that pleases me? I know she wanted to get her paws on him."

"She surely did." Here Brenda paused and Kelly could hear chewing noises. If Brenda was indulging in chocolate at home, Fritz and Claire had to be elsewhere. "'Scuse me. Had to finish that bite. Anyway, you know, I like Claire well enough, but she drives Andy bonkers. And, we were all in O'Malley's the other night and who should show up but the Barracuda? He got out of town just in time, didn't he? All these women have been huntin' for him. I told Miss Chloe Duncan she could just hop on a plane and fly to Alabama if she wanted to fight you for that man."

"I'd like to rip her bottle blonde hair out by the roots," Kelly answered. "But tell me, what did Claire say when you told her?"

"Claire? Oh, she looked shocked for a minute and then she said, 'Well, I suppose that's how the Universe had it planned. I guess I need to do a ritual to cleanse myself of bad karma.' Fritzie loves his sister, but he about died laughing when she said that. He had to go in the bedroom and laugh so he wouldn't hurt her feelings."

"I love Fritzie. He tickles me," Kelly said.

"He likes you, too. So after we went to bed that night, we both got such a fit of giggles about her cleansing her karma, we both nearly rolled off the bed laughing."

Kelly quipped, "Good thing both of you have so much practice in keeping a straight face."

"Ain't it the truth? I know it serves Fritzie well when he has to deal with Mama and Daddy. How's your mama, by the way?"

"Pretty good. She's all right. Usual aches and pains, but mostly O.K."

"Well, that's good. So what did your sister say when she laid eyes on Andy?" Brenda was well aware of their relationship.

"She wasn't real happy. I'm expecting more fireworks eventually. She just can't see how blessed she is with what she has. She always wants somebody else's blessing. Well, she can't have mine, that's for sure!"

That made Brenda chuckle. "It's always so good for me to talk to you, Kelly. You always cheer me up. I've got to get back to doing some cleaning, and I just heard Joel. I think he had a hairball. You call me, too, all right?"

"I will, Brenda. Good talking to you, too."

"Tell Andy I said to behave himself and that's an order!"

"Roger, wilco. See you later. Bye!"

"Was that the Chief?" Andy said from the den.

"Yeah. She was calling to check in on you and said, and I quote, to behave yourself, and that was an order!"

Andy laughed. "I'll do my best."

"I know. It's so difficult for you to act right. You really do try, though."

His chuckle was a little rueful. "Yeah, yeah," he said as he channel surfed. Suddenly, a thought hit him. "Hey, babe, is there a light on the deck?"

Kelly walked into the den. "Yeah, why?"

"Because that's where the hot tub is, and I didn't want to sit there in the dark." He stood.

"So you're planning to indulge a little?"

"You bet. Aren't you?"

"Maybe. It'll be here. I was thinking about veging out with a movie, but you go enjoy it."

He looked a little disappointed. "Won't be as much fun without you."

Kelly shook her head. "All right. If you're going to give me the little lost puppy look, I'll do it." As she went into the bedroom to change, the "puppy look" on Andy's face changed to a wolfish grin, which would not have surprised Kelly one bit, if she had seen it.

Her swimsuit was a modest one-piece, but even then, she wore matching shorts with it. She just felt better about how she looked when she did. Andy wore ordinary navy trunks, but Kelly had long ago decided he could make even burlap look good. He eased into the warm water and sighed. "That relaxes those muscles," he said. "Too much riding today."

"C'mon. It was five hours, not fifteen, and we did stop."

"Yeah, but it still feels great."

"I'll grant you that," Kelly answered, as she parked right in front of a jet that hit her lower back muscles. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the cushioned area. She was glad she and Anna, her cousin, had the same tastes in music. The CD player had some of her favorite songs on a mix CD, and she was enjoying the music when she heard Andy move around in the water. She thought he must be finding a more comfortable seat, but then he was standing over her, and had moved to put a knee on either side of her legs and was leaning in to kiss her urgently, deeply.

Kelly responded to the kisses with equal heat. In the stress of moving, of Andy not feeling great with the recurring migraines, their physical contact had been confined mostly to snuggling on the sofa. Even since they had been back in Alabama, he had seemed so worn out. He kissed her sweetly goodnight, and was asleep nearly immediately. Kelly supposed she hadn't truly realized the toll the rape charge had taken on his psyche. There had only been a couple of times when he had acted really interested in being physical. And that wasn't at all like him. He hid it well, but Kelly could see now how much it had shaken him. So she pulled him close and ran her hands down the warm, wet skin on his back, and he shivered with the contact.

He countered by sliding his hands up her sides and across her breasts, where he got a little frustrated. "What the...?"

Kelly giggled. "Foam cups, hon. It's a built-in bra."

"What is it with you and the body armor?"

"This is a practical swimsuit, not lingerie," she answered. "Sorry 'bout that," she said, stroking his face.

"Remember that can opener I mentioned? I think I'm gonna have to invest in one."

She grinned. "Gracious, Andy. Where's your tenacity? I'm not interested in sex in a hot tub, anyway."

"Then how about on that big sofa on the deck?" he said, kissing her neck down as far as the neckline of her suit would allow.

"If it were mid-June instead of mid-December, I'd take you up on it. But it's too cold. This time, let's just take it to the bedroom like boring, civilized people."

"Spoilsport. I could keep you warm."

"Nothing doing. Hand me a towel and we'll continue this discussion inside where it's about 30 degrees warmer than it is out here."

Andy looked a little disgusted, but did as she asked.

As Kelly climbed out of the tub and toweled off, she said, "I promise I'll make it worth the effort."

"You'd better," he mock-growled.

She just rolled her eyes and went inside to dry and get warm.

"Since being warm is a big deal to you, then how about in front of the fireplace? Looks like that rug is nice and thick." Andy followed Kelly inside and had his arms around her, and was sliding her damp shorts off on the kitchen floor.

"If you'll undo the hook on my suit and then _not_ watch me take it off, I'll consider it."

"Small price to pay," Andy answered, unhooking the fastening on her swimsuit and turning his back.

"All right," came Kelly's voice from the den. She was already lying on the rug and patted the space beside her. "Come on over here. And turn out the lights as you go. There's plenty of light from the fire."

Andy turned the lights off, shed his trunks and made his way to the rug.

"See? All the light we need," Kelly said. She could clearly see Andy in the firelight. His body fascinated her beyond all good sense as it was, and knowing she was the reason for his evident arousal made her want him even more.

"Now where was I?" he said.

"Right about here, I think," Kelly answered, pulling his mouth to hers. She wanted to taste his lips and feel his hands on her body. Nothing should feel this good, but he did. She ached inside for his touch. She took the initiative and put tiny, nipping kisses down his neck, stopping in that tickle spot on his jaw and she could feel him squirm in response. She kept kissing him, down his chest, and when she grazed a nipple in her teeth, he hissed.

"You tryin' to make me crazy?" he rasped.

"I thought that was the whole idea," was her purred response.

"Paybacks are hell," Andy said, but Kelly just laughed at that. So, he decided to prove his point and rolled her to her back, where he could give her the same treatment. He licked her nipple and then blew gently on it. The sensation raised goosebumps all over Kelly's body, he could see.

"You snake," she said, without heat.

"I warned you about those paybacks, but you laughed at me." His fingers found their way between her legs and she arched her hips to his touch. As he stroked her, he whispered in her ear, "I wonder how many times I could have touched you like this in the squad room and you'd have been this hot and wet for me."

"A lot," she panted. "'Specially when you had on that black vest, no coat, loosened tie and your shirtsleeves rolled up. You could have taken me in the office supply closet standing up."

That thought made Andy grin and he kissed her again.

"I'll stoop to begging for it," Kelly murmured against his mouth. "Please, Andy. I want you so bad."

But Andy was through playing games, too. He was hurting for release, himself. As he pressed himself inside her body, he was on the edge of his control, and Kelly encouraging him with every movement of her hips made it more difficult to maintain himself.

"Now you let go for _me_, Andy. Come on. Take us both there, sugar."

Her whispers drove him wild.

All he could do was take them both over the edge.

* * *

"I hope your cousin doesn't mind what we used that rug for," Andy said.

"She's got three kids. I think she knows what happens between a man and a woman," Kelly laughed, running her fingers through the mat of hair on Andy's chest. They had finally made it to the bedroom.

"What is it with women and chest hair?" Andy said.

"Same thing as guys and boobs. We don't have it."

He chuckled. "I guess so." His face grew serious. Kelly had lit a candle and could see the change in expression.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "Provenza said you'd have shot anybody who said they didn't believe me about that rape charge."

"I would have, too. You'd better believe I would have. What made you think about that?"

"It's been on my mind," he answered.

Kelly kissed his neck. "I know it has. Did talking with the psychologist help?"

"Yeah, but it's hard to forget. I've never hurt a woman physically in my life. I wouldn't. Not intentionally. Not even when I was drinking."

"Sweetheart, I trust you implicitly. Without reservation. I've never felt anything other than safe and warm in your arms. The only one who was about to get hurt in that situation was that little tramp. It was all I could do to let Sharon Raydor interview her. I wanted to do unspeakable things to her for even hinting that about you. I wanted to start by shaking her until her neck snapped, and then slap her face until her head rang. Brenda made me stay in the electronics room until they had her in Booking. If I'd met her in the hall, no telling what might have happened. It would have taken Provenza, David, Mike _and_ Julio to get me off her."

Andy nuzzled her hair and smiled. Kelly was a lioness when it came to people she loved. He had no doubt she would have put a serious hurt on that chick, given any opportunity. "It's nice to be defended, for a change," he said.

"To get to you, they have to get through me. Won't happen. Not in a zillion years. You're the sweetest part of my existence and I'm not about to let you be unjustly accused and persecuted."

"You're one in a million, Kellybean," he said, using her squad's nickname for her. "I needed you around ten years ago."

"I wish I could have been there for you, sweetheart, but you weren't ready for me, then. We both had some growing to do."

"Guess so. I feel like I owe you an apology."

"What in the world for?" Kelly asked.

He held her closer. "I know I haven't been myself, oh hell, ever since this happened. I've been a wreck, to tell the truth. I never meant any of it to spill over on you."

"Oh, honey," Kelly reassured him. "I understand. I'd have wondered what was wrong with you if you hadn't been affected." She grinned a little wickedly at him. "I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that what you're really apologizing for is the lack of us getting naked. It's O.K. I promise."

"See? I knew you could read my mind!" he said.

Kelly made a rude noise at that. "Pffft. I just know _you_, Andrew. I know how that pea brain of yours works."

"Stick to that story."

"Now you're talkin' too much. C'mere and kiss me again. We've got some catching up to do on that whole gettin' naked thing."

Andy didn't say a word in response. He just complied with Kelly's request for a kiss, holding her face in his hands and kissing her deeply, but briefly, then tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue. A thought occurred to him and he whispered in her ear, "Turn over."

She wasn't sure what he had in mind, but she was more than willing to go along with it. So, she turned over on her stomach and waited to see what he was going to do.

What Andy had in mind was loving Kelly in intimate, profound gratitude for her love, support and unwavering defense of him the past couple of months. He wasn't interested in getting anything out of this except the pleasure of pleasing her. So, he started by kissing one of Kelly's most sensitive tickle spots: behind her knees. It might sound a little odd to some guys, but Andy had learned long ago that kissing a woman's ticklish areas was almost guaranteed to get a good response. It worked. She squealed and squirmed a little, but those big hands held her steady under his mouth and she made little noises as he interspersed gentle nips and kisses up the backs of her thighs. He then started trailing his tongue up her spine, starting from the small of her back, all the way up to her neck. He pushed her hair up and kissed and nipped the nape of her neck, down to where her neck and shoulder joined – another tickle spot. He then worked his way back down her spine, and over to her side, where he knew there was a third ticklish area: a spot below her ribcage and above her hipbone. This place, he remembered, was probably the most sensitive area of the three, so he spent more time on that one spot, as he stroked her back.

Kelly was in heaven. She didn't know where this man learned how to touch a woman like this, but she wasn't arguing with his techniques. She wasn't sure what Andy was getting out of all this, but at this point, she didn't feel like asking questions. Her skin felt like one giant nerve ending and as he took her hand and put it on his waist, she knew he wanted her to turn to face him, so she did. He started kissing her neck, her face, her ears, letting her soft moans of encouragement tell him what to do. And he was whispering to her, telling her how beautiful she was, how sexy, how she turned him on, how he loved her and wanted her from now on.

She finally ended up on her back and Andy stretched full length on top of her, but balancing his weight. He just wanted her to feel his body. Then, he started kissing his way down her body, ending up kissing the insides of her thighs and working his way to where he knew she wanted him to be. He knew he had accomplished one goal, which was to make her want him again. Her heat, the wetness there, told him that much. The other thing he had learned about women over the years was that this was almost guaranteed to bring them to orgasm. Intercourse was a 50-50 shot, depending on how turned on the woman was. But oral sex? It was a touchdown almost every time. Andy hadn't lied to Kelly those months ago. He could make a woman purr. He liked sex and he was good at it. And when the woman in question was someone he loved like he loved Kelly, he was willing to go to a whole lot of trouble to make sure she was satisfied. Six weeks in traction wasn't too much to ask if that's what it took to fulfill any fantasy she had. He wasn't expecting traction, obviously, but if his jaw ached for an hour afterward, that was quite all right. She was worth it.

So he moved in and the second his tongue touched her, she nearly came off the bed. As he continued licking and kissing her, she was lost in heat and passion and couldn't think of another thing except his mouth on her body, and when she felt his fingers inside her as well, she screamed her climax and it felt like she almost stopped breathing for a second or two.

Kelly still couldn't say much when Andy folded her still shuddering body to his, telling her he loved her and could not live without her. As sleep claimed them, Andy thought he might never be able to completely repay Kelly for her devotion to him, but he might have made a down payment, at least.

* * *

The next day was sunny and clear, if a little chilly. Kelly really didn't know how it was that she was awake before Andy, considering the night before, but here she was, drinking coffee and watching the morning sun filter in through the bare branches of the trees surrounding the cabin.

The night before. It was going to take a little time to get her head wrapped around that one. She wasn't quite sure what had been at work, except that Andy was determined to put the whole Jenna Lessing incident behind him. Fine with her. Especially when it led to nights like the previous one. Kelly leaned against the front window. She loved most everything about Andy Flynn, but that sweet, soft center that he usually hid from the world was her favorite part. When that part was touched, his dark eyes became wonderfully soft, his voice gentled from its often edgy baritone, his smile lost that sardonic twist and he was a different man from the one the Major Crimes squad knew. Kelly felt honored that he allowed himself to be that different man when they were together. It spoke to her of a tender heart, and his brusque exterior was built up to protect that tender sweetness.

She heard Andy get up and a minute or two later, he came into the kitchen. "Coffee's on," she said.

"Thanks," he answered with a smile. Even a confirmed morning grouch like Kelly could be cheerful when Andy Flynn flashed that smile at her. She went to him and his arms came around her as he held her close.

"I see you got up at some point and put on those flannel sleep pants," Kelly said.

He laughed. "Yeah. I was freezing. And you, the know-it-all, knew I'd want them."

"Even if you didn't want to buy them."

"I concede the point. They were a great idea, O.K.?"

It was Kelly's turn to laugh. "I like them on you. Something about that dark plaid is sexy."

"You're nuts, you know that?" The very idea of flannel plaid being sexy. Women. Who could figure them?

"It all depends on who's wearing it. On you, it's hot."

Andy gave her a dubious look as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and warmed up Kelly's.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" he asked. "It looks cold outside."

"Thermometer said 27 when I got up, but it will be fine in the sun once we get stirring and get downtown. One of the brochures Anna left said there's a fabulous pancake house in town. Feel like having a carb party?"

"You know, that actually sounds really good. And I'm on vacation, which means I do all the touristy stuff. So pancakes it is."

Kelly snickered. "I never figured you for the kitschy, Bermuda shorts, black socks and sandals type," she teased.

Andy gave her a horrified look. "I'm not even gonna dignify _that_ with an answer! I just meant I like to come home with a couple of junky souvenirs. That kind of thing. In fact, Provenza and I always had a running competition to see who could find the worst souvenirs. I'll have to be on the lookout to find a really bad one to send him."

"We'll hit Souvenir City in Gulf Shores. I guarantee you'll find something there. What they don't have hasn't been thought of, as far as souvenirs go. It's incredibly tacky and way fun."

"I don't see the attraction of the beach in the winter," Andy said.

"Well, no you can't swim in the ocean, but it will be warmer than it is here, and you can still walk on the beach, and the seafood is unbelievable. We'll have a good time, I promise."

"If you say so. But what about for here?"

"We can do the train ride. That sounded great."

"Yeah, it did. So that's three hours gone. Then what?"

"I don't know. We'll just wing it."

He nodded. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Breakfast was memorable, if only for the amount of food both consumed.

"We'll walk it all off," Kelly said, finishing a stack of pecan pancakes and bacon.

"I hope so, because I'm stuffed," Andy answered.

"You ought to be. I didn't know anybody could eat that much French toast."

There were so many shops downtown, it was difficult to see them all. They browsed in antique stores, kitchen supply shops, leather goods merchants, home interior stores, and everything in between. Kelly bought a few items, but mostly restrained herself.

Unfortunately, the mountain railroad's engine was down for maintenance. Kelly was disappointed since she had looked forward to going, but the office promised it would be back in service in a day or two.

"Well, what else is there around here that's really touristy?" Andy said.

"Get our pictures on a wanted poster," Kelly answered, pointing to one of the shops offering sepia-toned photos of customers in 19th century costume.

"Yeah, we could do that," Andy chuckled, but a shop tucked into a corner caught his eye. "Kelly, check this out," he said. The place had a sign that read, "Blue Ridge Photographers: Specializing in Costumed Portraiture."

Kelly looked at the sign and snickered. "Fancy way of saying they can put you on a 'Wanted' poster," she said.

"Oh, no!" said a woman behind them. "I own the candy shop two doors down. These people are good. They do actual portraits, not just the gimmicky stuff. You can see their work inside. They really are great. Their portraits really look like the old daguerreotypes. My husband and I had a portrait done for our 25th wedding anniversary. We loved it. They cost a little more, obviously, but it's worth it. Check them out."

"O.K.," Kelly said, smiling at the woman. "We'll do it." They went inside, where a man greeted them.

"Afternoon, folks. You looking to have a portrait done?"

"Maybe," said Kelly. She still couldn't believe Andy wanted to do anything this blatantly kitschy, but he was looking at the photos on the wall with interest.

"So whaddaya think?" Andy said. "The U.S. Marshal and the saloon girl?" He grinned. He was incorrigible. But she knew that from the minute she met him.

She appeared to consider the idea. "No," she said decidedly. "I think the Yankee staff officer and his Southern belle would be much more appropriate."

The man at the counter said, "Our Civil War uniforms are from authentic patterns. Lots of choices. Did you have something specific in mind?"

Kelly perused Andy. "How about a Union officer's frock coat, slouch hat, sash and cavalry saber?"

The man nodded. "I can see that. Cavalry insignia on the hat?"

"Absolutely. Ninth Tennessee if you have it."

The man looked surprised, but prowled in his box of brass insignia. "I do have it. What do you know? Let me guess – an ancestor was in that unit, right?"

Kelly nodded. "Great-great grandfather."

"I kinda liked the U.S. Marshal," Andy said.

"Tough. If you want me in on this project, you're a Yankee cavalry officer."

He shrugged. You were supposed to do touristy, silly stuff on vacation. Cowboy, Civil War soldier, what difference did it make? "All right. What do we do?"

"Just get dressed," the man said. He called to the back and a woman, obviously his wife, appeared.

The man handed Andy the costume and sent him into the dressing room. The woman followed Kelly as she looked at the racks of gowns. "What about sizes?" she asked.

"They're one size fits all. We adjust them with velcro in the back. Much better than those tie-on kind the other places have. Just pick one you like."

"Wish I could have the hair, too," Kelly said.

"Oh, you can! We have hairpieces that mimic popular styles. Since these portraits are in sepia tones, or black and white, the color doesn't have to match exactly. Let me see..." She looked on a shelf of wigs and hairpieces, and came up with what would be termed a "switch" of long curls on a comb. They were a close match to Kelly's hair. "How about these?"

"That's perfect! Goldilocks curls! I love it. I found a dress, too." Kelly was getting into the spirit of the thing, in spite of herself.

"Let's get you dressed, then."

Ten minutes or so later, Kelly emerged in a maroon taffeta "afternoon dress", complete with hoopskirt. Her hair had been drawn back and the switch fixed to the back of her head. The neck of the dress was a bit low and flounced with cream lace, with the same lace on the short, puffed sleeves.

Andy emerged from the other room, and Kelly looked at him. He really did look, for all the world, like a Civil War portrait come to life.

"Gracious, Andrew," Kelly said. "Don't you look dashing?"

Andy looked at himself in the full-length mirror. "This is kinda spooky," he said.

"Spooky how?"

"I don't know. It's like I've seen myself like this before."

"A little deja vu?" Kelly asked.

"Sort of, yeah."

And in fact, standing next to Andy, and looking in the mirror, Kelly got the same feeling. She absolutely did not believe in reincarnation, but if she did believe in it, she thought, she might wonder if she and Andy had been a star-crossed couple from 150 years before, and had another chance to get it right. It was a little unsettling.

The photographer seated Kelly on an ornate chair, and she spread her skirts out. Andy stood to the side, one hand resting on the chair. In keeping with the custom of the day, neither smiled for the camera.

"That's great," the photographer said. "Just hold that pose and let me get a couple more shots." He clicked the camera several more times, from different angles, and said he was satisfied. "I might want to do another pose or two, but come here and look at the shots on the computer." He tapped a few keys and the images appeared on the monitor. "They won't look exactly like this, as far as the tones go, but it will be similar. I always tone every photo by hand. I don't let the automatic program do it."

Andy and Kelly looked at the results. "Gosh. That's amazing," Kelly said. "They really do look like authentic Civil War-era portraits. Hardly looks like us, does it, Andy?"

He grinned. "Well, a little, but I know what you mean."

"I want to send a print to Brenda. She'll love it and she'll get the joke." Kelly could just hear the squeals of laughter when Brenda saw the photo.

"I can have the package ready for you by nine tomorrow morning. Will that be all right?" the photographer asked.

"Sure," Kelly said. "We're planning on being back in town anyway."

"I'll do prints from a couple of different angles. I think you'll be pleased with the finished product."

"Oh, we will," Andy said.

"Let me get one more pose," the photographer said, leading them to a neutral backdrop. "Just put your arms around each other and look at the camera."

They did, and the finished shot showed the ghost of a grin around Kelly's mouth, with her eyes laughing, and Andy, solemn, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief.

As they filled out the order form, the photographer asked, "So how long have you two been married?"

"Six months," Kelly quickly said, quietly elbowing Andy, so he just smiled and nodded.

"I thought you two were still newlyweds. I can usually tell."

As they got out of the studio, Kelly started laughing and had to sit on a bench. "The look on your face when he asked us about being married was priceless," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Swear to God, people will ask _anything_, won't they?" Andy groused.

Kelly shot Andy a look. "Is being married to me such an awful future to contemplate?" she asked.

Suddenly, it was really serious and Andy knew his entire future with this woman depended on his answer, because he was getting "the stare" again. "'Course not," he answered quickly. "I just can't believe what people will say to complete strangers."

Her expression softened a little, to Andy's intense relief. "Good answer," she said. "I'd hate to think the idea of being married to me was so repugnant to you."

"No, no, NO! You know better than that," he hastened to reassure her. "You know I love you." He looked around. "Let's go into that candy store where that woman works who told us about the photos. It's been years since I've had homemade peanut brittle. O.K.?"

With one more look that, quite literally, put the fear of God into Andy's soul, Kelly then smiled at him and took his hand. "Sure. Maybe they have pecan brittle, too."

"I'm buyin'," Andy said, almost sweating with the knowledge of his very narrow escape. He was going to have to watch that gigantic mouth of his, where marriage to Kelly was concerned, at any rate. It was much on his mind, certainly. Obviously, it was on her mind, as well.

"All right, sugar. Let's go," she said.

Never had Andy been so thrilled to be called "sugar."


	22. Chapter 22: In the Spirit of Things

**A/N:** New chapter! At last! Thank you for your patience! Please continue to R&R. There are a couple more chapters to come before this winds up.

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 22: In the Spirit of Things**

The next few weeks were something of a whirlwind. Christmas was interesting. Good, but interesting. It had been a while since Andy had been part of an extended family Christmas. His siblings all had their own families, so the whole Flynn clan didn't get together that often for the holiday. He usually spent either Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas with Ben and Bridget. He always had an open invitation to the Tao household or to Julio's family for Christmas Day. Sometimes he went, sometimes not.

But this Christmas Day was something of a change. To begin with, the Hargrove family was one of mostly teetotalers, and the ones who weren't, didn't drink in front of the rest. So that was a change. The booze had always flowed pretty freely in his family, and family reunions had often ended with a fight or at least hard words. The mornings after were generally filled with pain relievers and the preferred hangover cures. Kelly's comment for that was, "Well, I've got plenty of Alka-Seltzer. You're more likely to make yourself sick from eating too much around here, rather than drinking too much."

Andy found Kelly's family to be friendly and warm – and a cast of overachievers. Teachers, school principals, speech therapists, social workers. There was enough parchment from college degrees in that room to wallpaper a house. It made him a little uncomfortable, until he realized no one talked about their educations. They were all more than welcoming, glad to see Kelly in a relationship, and he noticed that the "cousins" were all more like siblings. They looked out for each other and were intensely concerned about each others' welfare. He found out about that when he stumbled in on an intense conference concerning Elaine, while on the hunt for more hot cider. Kelly was in another room, talking to her aunts.

"I'm really worried about her," one of the cousins – he wasn't sure which – said.

"Me too. She hasn't seemed very happy lately," another agreed.

"What does Kelly say about her?"

"Not much. She's worried too, I think. But you know, there's been some friction there because of how Elaine was about Ellie."

"Well, what was Kelly supposed to do? Let the child starve for affection?"

"Of course not." The one speaking then was near Elaine's age, and probably the one she was closest to. "I've tried to, you know, gently recommend counseling, but she's never been receptive to the idea."

"That's what Mama said. She said Aunt Jewel is worried to death about her."

Suddenly, the conversation stilled and four heads were turned in Andy's direction. He said, "Not listening. Just getting more cider. I'll just slither out, now." He did leave, but paused around the corner. The nosy cop in him simply had to hear any more interesting tidbits.

Instead, what he heard made him turn crimson. "Well, _that's_ working out, at least." That was Anna, the cousin near Kelly's age.

"It sure is. Aunt Jewel just loves him, according to Mama."

"Well, Kelly deserves it. She's had a long dry spell."

"Yeah, and when the rain came, didn't she just hit the jackpot? I didn't know they still made any that looked like him."

"You're telling me. Ellie had told me how good-looking he was, but I about died when he walked in the door. I thought ya'll were going to have to scrape me up off the floor."

"Oh, I know it. When he grinned at me, I thought I was gonna melt and run down in my shoes."

As pleased as he was embarrassed, Andy was making his way back to where the men were congregating. Kelly was heading in the opposite direction and nearly ran into him. She noticed the look on his face. "What are you grinning so about?" she asked.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Liar. But I can tell I'm not going to get it out of you now." She continued on to the kitchen, where her cousins were. "Were you all picking at Andy?" she said.

"No," Anna said. "Why?"

"He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat when I passed him in the hall just now. But his face and ears were red."

Anna snickered. "Why that sneaky little devil! He was getting some cider and overheard us in a discussion about your dear sister. He got out of here pretty quick, but he must have stayed around the corner to see if he could hear anything else. Trouble is, we started talking about _him_."

Gales of laughter broke out at the table and Kelly said, "Well slide over and make room! What were you saying?" She sat down.

"About how good-looking he is," said Ruthie with a grin.

"Oh, Lord. Don't start that. He's conceited enough as it is," Kelly answered.

"Well, you gotta be honest," said Ruthie's sister, Michelle. "He ain't hard to look at."

"I have to agree with you," Kelly said. "No arguments there."

Lisa, Anna's sister, nodded. "He's good to you. I know he is because you wouldn't put up with him otherwise."

"He's great," Kelly answered.

"So is he staying here or going back to L.A.?" asked Anna.

Kelly shrugged. "Going back in the short term. Long term? I don't know what we're going to do. I've been trying not to think about it too much."

"You don't think you could live in Los Angeles?" Michelle asked.

Kelly shook her head. "Not for any length of time. Somewhere else in California, maybe. But not L.A. It was just too much for me and I'm not ashamed to admit it."

"Is Andy that attached to L.A.?" That was Lisa.

"Not exactly. It's mostly that his kids are there, and his pension is with the LAPD. But his kids are grown and nearly grown, so that's not as much of an issue."

"But the pension is," Anna said. "Yeah, that's tough. When you've got a good retirement plan going, you surely don't want to leave it behind. Times are too hard for that."

"Yeah, and he's got twenty-five years socked in it. I don't know. I just don't know."

Anna patted Kelly's hand. "Try not to worry. The Lord has something worked out, I know."

Kelly smiled. "I know He does. I just wish He'd let me in on it!" she exclaimed.

Andy was back in the kitchen shortly thereafter, prowling the snacks. There was enough food in the house to feed the entire LAPD. He fixed a plate and Kelly said, "Hon, that Mexican dip has ground beef in it."

Andy looked at his plate. Apparently, he was having a discussion with himself. He answered, "For one day, screw it. I'm eatin' whatever looks good. I don't care. This is one wagon I can fall off once in a while. I'll climb back on tomorrow." He speared a piece of ham and slapped it on top, for good measure. He started on it as he left the kitchen and they could hear him mutter, "God, I've missed ham." Giggles ensued.

"You're corrupting him, Kel," Michelle said.

"Sometimes I feel like I am. But I don't _try_ to get him to eat meat, I promise! This is pretty much the first time since we've been dating that he has! He didn't even eat a bite of turkey at Thanksgiving."

"He's gonna make himself sick," Anna darkly predicted.

"I'm afraid so," Kelly agreed.

A ruckus outside with the kids got Michelle to the patio door. "Hey Kelly, the twins are at it, with the other two boys egging it on, and the girls are screaming bloody murder. Can you help?"

"Those twins," Kelly growled. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do." She went outside.

"It sure is handy having a cop in the family," Michelle said.

"Why do you say that?" Andy had appeared out of nowhere.

Lisa chuckled. "Watch."

Kelly went outside and just stood, watching the melee. The little girls saw her and immediately rushed to her, trying to make her understand what was going on. She knelt down to talk to them. "It's all right, babies. You all go inside and get your mamas to get you some water or juice. Wash your hands and faces. We'll be eating 'fore too long, all right?" Each child got a hug and with sniffles, went inside.

Kelly went out to where the boys were fighting. She took a deep breath. "BOYS!" she yelled. The scuffle stopped and the children turned to look at her. "House! _**NOW**_!"

The four miscreants filed past her. One shot her a dirty look. "Don't you look at me like that, Brody Michael. I'll tan your hide. You get your tail into the house and act like you've had some home training. March."

She followed in behind them to see Andy standing, grinning hugely at her. She managed to keep a straight face until the boys were out of sight and then cracked up. "Those little demons! I don't know what it was about." She glanced to where Samuel sat, curled up with his video game. "At least he never bothers anybody."

Lisa laughed. "It never _has_ to be about anything." She turned to Andy. "The reason it's nice having a cop in the family is because the kids obey her without whining. She used to put them in jail when they were younger."

"Jail?" Andy said.

Kelly grinned and said. "Yeah. A lawn chair on either side of the yard. They had to sit until I told them they could get up. Basically, it was a time-out. But I called it jail, for effect. It worked. They had to watch the others play for a few minutes while they couldn't." She shook her head. "We've got about two more years for me being a police officer to impress the older ones. By the time they're twelve, it won't work anymore."

"Hopefully, by the time they're twelve, they'll stop having fistfights at family get-togethers," Lisa answered.

"That would be the ideal outcome," Kelly answered.

Kelly's oldest uncle announced about then that it was time for Christmas dinner to start. It was a memorable meal, at least for Andy. It had been at least twenty years since he had been at a family gathering that featured this much food. "I'll be running six miles tomorrow," he said quietly to Kelly. She just grinned at him.

* * *

A couple of days after Christmas, Shantina called Kelly. "Hey, we're having a little party at The Station tonight. Why don't you guys come? Just us having a good time."

"Sounds good. I'll see if Andy wants to come with me. I'll be there, regardless, though."

"We're meeting at seven, then."

Kelly hung up. "Hey, hon. You want to go with the crew to a club tonight? Nothing fancy. Just us. It's sort of our Christmas-New Year's party."

Andy nodded. "Sure. Sounds like fun.

They arrived at The Station and Kelly led Andy to a part of the club that was separated by glass walls. Shantina saw them and came out of the glassed-in section. "Hey, you guys! How did the family thing go?"

"Fine," Kelly said. "We had a great time."

"Cool. Listen. Fred said he's got a lot of new stuff in. He's got a list in the books. I looked it over. Pretty good."

Kelly nodded. "I'll have to give it a look and see what he's got."

"Well, come on in," Shantina said, opening the door. The Homicide squad was in the corner and waved at Kelly and Andy. They scooted up to the big table, on which a couple of large ring binders were sitting.

A guy at the front of the room, who Andy figured was the DJ, hailed Kelly. "Hey, girl! Glad to have you back!"

"Good to be back, Fred!" she returned.

Shantina looked over at Casey. "What you doing first?" she said.

"Oh, thought I'd start with my usual. 'Friends in Low Places,'" he answered. "You?"

She shrugged. "'Chain of Fools' maybe. I think it's a Motown kind of night."

Andy listened to the conversation and saw there was what looked like a small stage at the front of the room, with what looked like a TV or computer monitor. Oh God. It was _karaoke_. No way. Not in this universe. He nudged Kelly and looked at her.

"What is it?" she said in his ear.

"You guys do _karaoke_?" He made it sound like they barbecued small children.

Kelly snickered. "Yep. It's my dirty little secret."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I had a feeling you wouldn't come if I did. But we actually have some really good singers. And we stay sober."

Andy looked doubtfully at her. "I didn't know you could sing karaoke and be sober."

"I oughta knock you upside the head. But I won't. I'll let you find out for yourself that it can be fun."

Lacey leaned over. "What's up, guys?"

Kelly said, "We've got a heckler in the crowd," she said, pointing at Andy.

"Oooooohh! An elitist! Thinks he's too _sophisticated_ for karaoke, huh?" she teased.

Andy rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Big mouth," he said.

Kelly made a kissy-face at him. "Love me, love my music," she answered.

Andy couldn't believe someone as intelligent and educated as Kelly could go for something as totally cheesy as karaoke, but he supposed everyone had their weaknesses.

Morris leaned across the table. "This is how we relieve stress," he said. "Cindy says we're getting our ya-yas out. We just have a good time doing it. It really is fun. You should try it!"

Andy looked shocked at the very idea and Kelly said, "He can't carry a tune in a bucket. He's hopeless, bless his heart."

Now that hurt. Kelly had made fun of the fact he couldn't sing, called him hopeless and blessed his heart in that way she and Brenda did when they really meant, "You're so pitiful."

Kelly saw his formidable scowl, but it didn't intimidate her. She leaned over, kissed his cheek and said, "I'm sorry I said that about your singing."

He looked sidelong at her and couldn't be too angry with her. She hadn't meant it. Well, he couldn't sing. That was a fact. But she wasn't being malicious. So he returned the kiss and smiled at her. "So are you gonna sing?"

She nodded. "Probably."

He cocked his head. "I don't think I've ever heard you try to sing. Except at your desk, when you start humming with your headphones on. Or with the radio a little."

"Oh, you didn't know, Andy? Kelly's our songbird! She has a beautiful voice!" Shantina said.

"My sister is way better than I am," she answered. "And Shantina is the real voice in this group. She could out-sing Whitney or any day of the week and twice on Sunday," Kelly said to Andy.

"Oh, you hush. You know you can sing. I just like to _pretend_ I'm Whitney. That's all," Shantina said, and the table laughed.

Casey volunteered to go first, and his rendition of "Friends in Low Places" was, as usual, a good one. He had a nice country tenor – surprising considering he stood 6'4 and weighed about 230 pounds. Andy expected a much deeper voice.

Morris sang country, too, and his version of "Marie Leveau" was always funny. Kelly filled out her song slip and asked Casey to take it to Fred.

"What are you singing?" Andy asked.

"It's a surprise, and you probably don't know it, anyway. But maybe you'll like it."

"O.K.," was all he said.

Shantina did open with "Chain of Fools," and in Kelly's opinion, rocked the house. Andy was surprised. She was a really great singer. He clapped as she came back to her seat and looked at Kelly. "Wow," he said.

"Told you so," she answered.

Lacey admitted she didn't have a great voice, but she did fine on the country standard, "Walkin' the Floor Over You."

Fred called Kelly to the stage, and her peeps yelled enthusiastically. "Oh, stop it, ya'll," she said. Fred started the music and as the tune filled the air, her crew elbowed each other. Kelly sang this song before because she liked it. Now they knew she was singing it for a slightly different reason.

"I set out on the narrow way, many years ago. Hoping I would find true love along the broken road..." she sang.

The song did ring a bell with Andy, but it sounded a little different. He looked at Lacey. "I've heard this, but it didn't sound like this."

"That's because Fred has the original version, not the Rascal Flatts version. This is just piano and acoustic guitar. Listen."

Andy did, and the lyrics came through for the first time. "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you." And Kelly was singing it to him, for him. And she could sing, all right. She had a sweet soprano, with just a little smokiness in it. But she could interpret a song. Andy knew Kelly loved music and knew more songs than he ever would, but he had no idea she could actually, really sing. But she could.

The song ended and he clapped for her, of course, and as she sat down, she looked a little expectantly at him. "That was beautiful, babe," he said. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing?"

"I don't know. I'm a little self-conscious about it," she answered. "Elaine is the one who can really knock your socks off. I just sing because I love music. She's actually good at it."

"So are you," he said, kissing her cheek. "You sang that for me. I'm a little embarrassed, now."

Kelly smiled. "It was nice to sing it for the reason it was written."

"Lacey said that was the original version. I thought some boy band country group did it."

"Rascal Flatts, yeah. But they covered it. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded it first about 15 years ago. Their lead singer is one of the co-writers on it. I like the Dirt Band's version way better. It's not over-produced. The melody is so pretty, you don't need a lot of embellishment."

"It's a great song," he said.

"It is."

Andy actually had a much better time than he wanted to admit. On the drive home, he said as much.

"I had a feeling you'd eventually get into it," Kelly said. "It's just our way of having a good time, relieving the stress."

"Don't you ever tell Provenza I went to karaoke with you," he said.

"He'll never hear it from me," she promised. Brenda, on the other hand, would think it very funny. But she'd never tell Provenza, either.

* * *

Andy and Kelly rang in the New Year on the beach. Kelly was right: even though there weren't many people around, and it was too cold to swim, it was still nice. They walked along the mostly deserted stretches of beach and watched the sandpipers and sand crabs in the surf and the pelicans as they flew in formation close to the water.

The week was more bittersweet than Kelly thought it would be, mostly because it was nearly time for Andy to go back to Los Angeles. As much as she pushed it out of her mind, the ugly thought kept coming back. They drove out to Fort Morgan, at the very end of the barrier island. The place was always a little melancholy to Kelly, but the atmosphere suited her state of mind right then. She was feeling melancholy. So was Andy. It was New Year's Eve, a gray, chilly day and the wind was stirring up the surf, causing sullen breakers to crash on the shore with extra vigor.

"After being in this cold, I think I need a big bowl of gumbo," Kelly said.

"Sounds good."

Kelly drove them to one of the many "holes in the wall" seafood places she knew of and they ordered gumbo, and Kelly got a fried soft shell crab and boiled shrimp plate, while Andy just ate the shrimp.

"What do these people do to seafood?" he asked.

Kelly laughed. "They season it right, and it came off the boat this morning or last night."

"Must be what it is." He sampled his cup of gumbo. "This tastes a little like yours. But yours is better," he said with smile.

"Flatterer," she answered.

"I want to come back here when the weather is warm," Andy said. "I'd like to get in the water and stay later on the beach."

"We can do that," Kelly replied.

"I saw on the news that they're having a big New Year's Eve party tonight in Mobile. Were you planning on going?" Andy asked.

"Not unless you just wanted to. I thought we could stay in the condo and watch the ball drop on TV. There's a fireworks show at midnight from the state park pier. We can see that from here if we look off the balcony. How about that?"

"Sounds great to me. I'm feeling a little antisocial."

"So am I," Kelly answered.

When the first fireworks salvo exploded, Andy kissed Kelly. "Happy New Year, babe," he said.

"Happy New Year, sugar," she answered. They watched the fireworks and walked back into the room. Andy sat on the bed and pulled Kelly to sit beside him. "I know it's the same old story, but I wish you could stay," she said.

"Me too, babe, but I'll figure something out. I swear to God I will."

Kelly looked into Andy's eyes. They were troubled. "Andy, sweetheart, I want you to be absolutely honest with me. Do you think you could be happy here in Alabama, or would you rather I try to find something outside Los Angeles?" Seriously. Honestly."

He paused just a moment. "Kelly, I don't have that many ties to L.A. Just my kids. And they can come see me, now. I like Huntsville. I like Alabama. I really do. I'll be honest: I didn't expect to. I didn't think I'd like it. But I'm ready to be in a city where there's maybe 20 murders a year, instead of 120. Or more. It's not like Huntsville's out in the middle of nowhere. I'm tired of the huge city. I'm ready to go where there's more than a week between murders. Maybe I'm just gettin' old and lazy like Provenza."

"There's not a lazy bone in your body. Maybe it's better for your sobriety and overall health, though?"

"I don't think there's any doubt about that," Andy answered. "The headaches are gone. I feel better than I have in – I can't remember when. I know it's not perfect here, but you're here. And your whole family is here. You have much deeper roots here than I do in L.A. And yeah, it's a slower pace, but oh, what's that line from the song, 'California has worn me thin?' Is that it?"

"Mostly. It's 'California has worn me quite thin,' from 'Come Monday' by Jimmy Buffet, who, coincidentally, is from this area."

"Is he really? Figures. Figures you'd know the song, too. But that's it. I didn't realize just how thin until I got out of there for a while. But yeah. Worn thin. That's a good way to put it."

"And you really think you'd be happy here? You wouldn't always be wishing you were back in L.A.? Andy, I don't want you to make a major move like this without knowing it's what you really want. I don't want you to be miserable."

Andy smiled at her. "Like I said, if you're here, then that's where I want to be. I can move. I'll sublet my place to Ben and he can send my stuff to me a little at a time. If we can get it worked out with my job, I don't have any problems being here. At all."

"All right." She stroked his face. "You are so handsome. What in the world made you decide you wanted _me_?"

Andy held her close. "When you called me sugar and winked at me." Kelly snickered. "But I want you to tell me something, now."

"What is it?"

"You've always been real cagey about this self-image thing. You've let on here and there, but never anything specific. I want to know what it is about you and men. What happened?"

"Andy, let's not get into that, O.K.?" Kelly's voice was distant.

He put his cheek on the top of her head. "Hon, I think we're gonna have to. It's on your mind, babe. I see it in your eyes. Now tell me."

"God, you're insistent," Kelly said. "O.K. You want to know. Ever since I started first grade, I was picked on. Not bullied exactly, because I'd stand up for myself. It was bad enough that I was the chubby kid, but I had the unmitigated gall to be smart, too. They could have kind of felt sorry for me if I was stupid, but I wasn't. I was smarter than any of them. I was in the gifted program, and that was the only place I felt any kind of acceptance."

"Wow," Andy said softly. He never realized what it must have been like for the kids in his class who got picked on. His kids were always popular, so they never had to deal with it.

"Yeah. So, even in high school, when I slimmed down a little, I was still a lot curvier than the other girls. And still smart. Guys would occasionally ask me out for pizza or something, but all they wanted was help on their English papers, and figured that was the price they had to pay for a decent grade. And I, like the desperate creature I was, would go ahead and help them. I should have slapped their silly faces, but I didn't. I thought you know, maybe they would see something else besides this big brain sitting up on top of a fat girl's body. But they never did. The only guy who did was too intimidated by the other guys to ever ask me out. But at least he was always really nice to me."

"And nothing changed in college?"

Kelly shrugged. "Not appreciably, not really. But at least, by then, I had enough pride that, if a guy just asked me out to pick my brain about British literature, I'd leave. I went out with some friends to this club. My friend was driving, it was across Huntsville, and I lived in Madison. So, I'm like, 15 miles from home. And she was making up to this guy she knew who was a drummer in the bar band. He was trying to get her to go home with him and I said, you know, how am I supposed to get home? He actually said he'd pay for a cab for me to go home, or if I'd rather, the bass player said I could go home with him since he'd never 'done a fat chick before.'"

Andy closed his eyes against the pain and anger in Kelly's voice. He couldn't imagine what that would do to someone's self-esteem. But he had probably said something just as awful to a woman when he was still drinking – he just couldn't remember and the woman hadn't reminded him of it.

"I was 32 when I lost my virginity, if you can believe it. But it's true. We dated for a few months, and I really thought he was the one. Nope. I gave it away to the biggest jerk on the planet. We were working for the Decatur PD. That's when I transferred to Huntsville."

"Then what?"

"Then, nothing. Until six months ago, when this incredibly sexy man came into my life and told me he wanted me just like I am. After grabbing me and kissing the life out of me, that is."

"You went ten years without a relationship? No one in your life?" Andy only thought he had been lonely. He really didn't know the meaning of the word, obviously.

"The occasional movie date or something, and that's it. My energy went into being there for Ellie."

"Now I'm the one who's shocked."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't believe you'd take a chance on me! The squad smart ass? And you're _not_ fat, by the way." He grimaced. "God, I hope I never made a fat joke around you, did I?"

"No, you didn't."

"Are you just saying that? You sure? How do you know?"

"Because you still have your testicles."

Andy laughed out loud at that. "How many times have I said you have a real mean streak? I remember when you told me you were gonna slap me into the middle of next week. It big-time pissed me off when you said it, but then later, I realized you were the only woman I knew who would call me on my shit. You wouldn't back down from me. You're so, oh what's that word? Starts with an 'f.' Not fiery, but definitely that too, what is it, English major?"

"Feisty?" Kelly guessed.

"_That's_ it! Feisty! You take crap off nobody. Especially me. So it made me want to find out about this woman who would go toe-to-toe with me, and then turned around and looked at me like she wanted to take my clothes off. You can give some smoldering looks, babe, I'm telling you."

"Sorry about that," Kelly said.

"Don't be. That's part of your charm. You'd look at me like that and I'd get itchy feeling and antsy. Provenza told me he knew I had it bad for you before I ever kissed you. And you'd walk by and ruffle my hair. You were really pushing my buttons. You know, sometimes, you'd give me one of those looks and I had to get out of the murder room and walk around for a couple of minutes."

Kelly laughed. "If I'd known you even noticed those looks before we went out, I'd have been mortified."

Andy shook his head. "There was this one time, I'd been on a stakeout and had on jeans, and I caught you really checking me out. You had this look on your face like, 'let me get you alone for five minutes.' Pretty sexy, babe. So when I had the chance, I took it. Knowing what I know now, I'm just surprised you got within ten feet of me."

She chuckled. "I couldn't help myself. At first, I was thinking, you know, what happens in Cali, stays in Cali. But then, you got all sweet and boom! Fell for you like a ton of cement."

Andy laughed at that. "Well, apparently, people noticed."

"How's that?"

"You know, Julio hears _everything_. Whatever the gossip is, he knows about it. I think he's got all the break rooms bugged or something. Anyway, he said the peanut gallery had a code name for us."

"A code name? Oh Lord." Kelly shook her head. "Go ahead and tell me. You might as well or I'll wonder from now on."

"They called us 'Angel and the Badman.' Like the movie." Clearly, the moniker tickled Andy. His eyes were twinkling.

Kelly covered her eyes. "Oh mercy. That's awful. And you _would_ think it's funny."

"Don't you?"

"It's always funny when it's somebody else. Not so much when it's you."

"Well you know what else they said?"

"I'm afraid to ask."

"That you, and I quote, 'shaved my back and taught me to walk upright.' How 'bout that?"

_That_, Kelly found utterly hilarious. "Now that's funny," she chuckled.

"I figured you'd think so."

"Truth hurts, don't it?" Kelly shot back.

Andy opened his mouth, then closed it and faced her and saw her mischievous grin. She did love to needle him. And he fell for it, hook, line and sinker every time. But he really didn't mind.

"I'd say you've got a smart mouth again, but I just leave the door open, don't I?"

"Every time, sugar. You walk right into it, and most of the time, the temptation to take advantage of it is irresistible. Almost as irresistible as you are." She raised up to kiss him under his jaw.

Andy snorted. "Now I think I say truthfully, you're the first woman who's ever said that about me. After a while, most of them think I'm very resistible."

Kelly raised herself to her knees and kissed him on his lips. "Silly, silly little girls. They just had no idea what to do with you."

He returned her kiss. "And you think you do?"

"I _know_ I do, Lieutenant. I know exactly what to do with you." She leaned into him and kissed that sensitive place under his ear, then nibbled his earlobe. "First, you have to be fed so you're not grouchy." She kept up those little nibbles and kisses that drove him bananas.

"Am I that bad when I'm hungry?" he said, stroking her back as she kissed him.

"You're a bear, sweetheart. But if somebody throws a doughnut and a cup of coffee into your cage, you sweeten right up. So maybe it's the caffeine that does it."

"Maybe it is." He shifted underneath her a little and Kelly put one knee between his, so she was essentially sitting on his thigh. "So what else is involved in my care and feeding?" he teased.

"I think we've established that a girl can't back down from you and keep your respect," she answered, scooting forward a little so her knee was against his groin and every time she moved, he could feel it. "And in spite of that _muy macho_ front you've established, your mind has to be – stimulated – too. Dumb chicks may be O.K. for a while, but honey, you need someone who can keep up with your brain. Otherwise, you get bored."

"Well, you're just the woman for that. You can out-think me without even breaking a sweat."

"That's not entirely accurate. I just think differently. We come up with the same answers – just in different ways." She moved her knee again and Andy sighed a little.

"It's nice to know you don't just think I'm some old guy," he said.

"Old? Old isn't the same age it used to be. You figure someone my age would legitimately date someone who's fifty. So what's five more years?"

Andy grinned. "Qualifying for the senior citizen discount, that's what. And that sucks, oh, does it ever suck. When some pimple-faced little twirp at McDonald's asks me, 'Will that be a senior coffee, sir?' it really pisses me off."

"Now see, if I didn't know how old you are, I wouldn't have put you at 55. You don't look it. These little nitwits see gray hair and make assumptions. And you sure enough don't act it," Kelly teased, leaning in for another kiss. "And your – ahem – stamina is pretty darn good for 55. Like I said, those silly little girls just did not know what to do with a mature, grown man. _I_, on the other hand, know how to appreciate you."

"You've done pretty well so far, that's for sure," he said. He'd told Kelly once that she made him feel like a horny teenager. He hadn't lied. Whenever she touched him, he was ready for clothes to start coming off.

"When I ruffled your hair in the squad room, know why I did it?" she said.

"You tell me."

"It was the only acceptable way I could touch you. But you know what really got to me? One time, you were at your desk, really intent on something, and I walked behind you and I was almost dying to kiss you there at the nape of your neck, right above your shirt collar."

"So why didn't you?"

Kelly made a wry face. "Provenza was sitting there. But if he hadn't been, oh, buddy." She shook her head. "See, little things like that do it for me. Like when you rolled your sleeves up and I could see your forearms and your hands, the way your watch sits on your wrist, and you'd unbutton that starched collar and loosen your tie, and I could get just a glimpse of the hollow of your throat. Drove me stupid crazy. It sounds weird, but there you are. I guess it's all about anticipation. And you wonder why I gave you those looks. The thought of just touching your arms and feeling the muscle under your shirtsleeves was enough to make me hot all over." She shuddered a little and gave him a wicked, wicked grin. "And now I have you all to myself, and I can take your clothes off any time I want to."

"Yeah you can. I won't tell anybody what a wildcat you are."

"I wouldn't be with anybody but you. You bring out the wanton in me."

"Nice to know I'm good for something," he teased.

"You are."

Andy had taken his jeans off and was in a T-shirt and his underwear. Kelly touched him through the soft fabric of his shorts and he twitched. "Has it always been this easy to get you turned on?" she said, soft laughter in her voice.

His eyes were closed and he nodded. "Yeah."

"You're just a horndog, that's all."

"Yep."

Kelly slipped her hand inside the waist of his shorts and stroked him. She was by no means an expert, but she suspected Andy had never had to feel – inadequate – in the locker room in high school. "That's good stuff, babe," he murmured.

"Glad you like it. I aim to please." She leaned forward and kissed Andy's face, his forehead, his cheeks, his chin, the tip of his nose, his temples, with tiny feathering kisses. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her cheek to his, inhaling his scent of soap and cologne and the tangy something that was just Andy.

Andy was content to let Kelly take the lead and he'd go wherever she wanted to. It was just that kind of night. Even through closed eyes, he knew when she took her top off, and his hands migrated to her skin. It was always warm and soft under his hands, and he slid his fingers up and down her spine, feeling her quiver under his touch. He felt her hands under his T-shirt, and in a moment, Kelly had it off, as well. She kissed a particular spot on his chest.

"Did you know you have a birthmark right there?" she asked. "It's more or less hidden in the hair, but it's there."

"I'd almost forgotten about it," he answered.

"Wonder what else about you I've never noticed?" she said.

"You're free to find out, babe. Look all you want."

She chuckled. "Something tells me you'd rather I'd save the explorations for another time."

"Up to you. You're driving, hon."

"Yeah, I guess I am, aren't I?" In that case, the shorts had to go. Naked Andy was the best kind, although any kind was good. Kelly slipped his shorts off and just had to admire him for a minute. Objectively, she supposed there were better looking men out there, but from her particular point of view, well, even her impressive and extensive vocabulary failed her. From his thick, salt and pepper hair, right down to his size 12 feet, he was, in her estimation, masculine physical perfection. If it got any better, she didn't know about it. And he loved her. As her gaze roamed back up to his face, she met those dark eyes.

"Are you checking me out again?"

She grinned. "Uh-huh. You went back for seconds when they were passing out the looks, didn't you? Maybe thirds?"

He shook his head. "Well now you've got me naked, do you still know what to do with me?"

"Oh yeah. Exactly. You just lie there for a sec." Kelly turned to rummage in a bag Andy hadn't seen.

"What have you got?" he said, seeing a metal container in her hands.

"You wondered where I went the other day. Some place I could get this." She held it up. "From the good folks at Kama Sutra, edible honey dust. And a feather."

"And the feather's for...?

"Applying the honey dust. And mister, have I ever got plans for this stuff."

Andy leaned his head back. "Go for it, babe," he answered. The next ten or fifteen minutes of his life were some of the best he'd ever had. The feel of that feather, then Kelly licking that stuff off his skin, and even the light fragrance of it were enough to send any man right over into insanity. It wasn't often that Andy totally lost track of time and himself, even during sex. It was the cop in him, he guessed, but in this instance, everything stopped. Nothing in the world mattered but what Kelly was doing to him. But for once, he wasn't in a hurry to get to where they were going. He trusted her enough to let her go at her pace.

For Kelly, the most difficult part was just deciding where to start. There were so many enticing places to choose from. Even the chocolate show in New York she'd heard about wasn't as good as Andy Flynn, a container of honey dust and a feather. Not nearly as many calories and the payoff was much more satisfying. She dipped the feather into the dust, shook off the excess and decided his neck was the place to begin. As the tendrils whisked against him, Andy twitched involuntarily, until he felt Kelly licking the powder from his skin. Then she kissed him deeply so he could taste it, too. As she continued that slow, sweet torment, he made himself lie still and allow her to do what she wanted.

Then, he could feel her touching him, but she had something on her fingers. A new fragrance filled the room and his skin started to warm and tingle.

"You like that?" she said.

"What the hell are you doing to me, woman?" he rasped.

Her chuckle was low and sexy as she answered, "It's called oil of love. Strawberry flavored. Makes everything taste better."

_Now_ what had she been reading? He posed the question and she laughed in earnest.

"Honey, don't you think I've harbored a few fantasies over the years? You just happen to be the lucky recipient. Now hush and enjoy yourself."

"Yes ma'am," he answered. As her mouth touched him, his breathing started to grow ragged and he moved and shifted as she continued.

"Well, I guess the only way to make you stop wiggling is to do this," Kelly said, as she climbed on top of him and took him inside herself, pressing her hips to his, watching his face tighten with need and heat. It was downright heady stuff, having this man at her mercy, for all practical purposes. As she started moving, she put her hands on his broad shoulders for leverage, and his hands went to her hips.

When Andy felt himself inside Kelly's body, he wanted to roll her over and take her deep and hard and make her scream. But that wasn't what this was about. This was about taking it a little slower, and, as she suggested, enjoying each other. They'd get there, eventually. Surely, he could help things along a little, though, as he lifted his lower back to meet her movements. That got another chuckle. "Impatient cuss, aren't you?" But she did increase the tempo a little and he could feel the friction start to build. A little faster and he could feel the tension start from the base of his neck, streaking fire down his spine. _Just a little more, please_, he begged silently, and somehow, Kelly, who was tuned into him completely, picked up on it and her movements were more forceful and quicker. Then, in response to her whispered encouragement, he came for what seemed like forever as his body found release in hers.

Kelly eased herself to lie beside Andy, seeing his blissed-out expression and the light sheen of sweat on his body with smug satisfaction. She doubted the Barracuda had ever put that look on his handsome face. She kissed his cheek, tasting the salt tinged with a faint flavor of the honey dust. Now that was one idea that had worked out even better than she expected.

"Still with me?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah," he said softly and then a thought struck him and he turned to grin at her.

"What is it?"

"Some kinda way to start the new year, huh?"

Kelly returned the grin. "Can you think of a better way?"

"Not even. You wore me out, woman."

"Means I won't have to rock you to sleep, then," she teased.

"I'll write you an I.O.U.," he said. " 'Cause I can't move."

She snickered. "Your word's good with me. I'll file it away, though, just in case."

"You do that. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kelly had been up, but had crawled back into bed. They left the beach tomorrow, and Andy went back to L.A. at the end of the week. She really didn't have any ambitions for today, except to be with the man she loved. So, she got back in bed, and as he always did, Andy turned over so she could snuggle to his chest. Best part of her morning, for certain, was being able to cuddle against his warm body and go back to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23: Waiting for the Day

**A/N:** Yep, the chapter we've all been dreading. But there's light at the end of the tunnel, I promise! Please continue to R&R and thanks for staying with me on this trip!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 23: Waiting for the Day**

It was, without a doubt, in the top 10 of the worst mornings in Kelly Hargrove's life. She had to say goodbye to Andy. She kept telling herself it was only temporary, that they would figure something out, one way or another, but right now, it felt terribly final. She kept telling herself she would not cry, would not break down in the airport. She had a hammer lock on her tears, even though the dam threatened to give way at any moment.

Her badge got her through security, so at least she could go to the gate with him. They sat facing the window, saying very little. His arm was around her shoulders, her head rested against his chest. As his flight began boarding, they stood and Kelly went into Andy's arms, hanging on to him for dear life.

"I'll call you when I get in," he said.

"O.K." she quavered, determined she would not cry.

"We'll work something out. I swear we will, Kelly. Something."

"I know." She hid her face against his chest, feeling his warmth, hearing his heartbeat. She could smell his aftershave and the leather of his jacket, scents she associated with him.

"I love you, Kelly. I do. More than anyone else in my life."

"I love you, Andy. Please come back to me soon."

He tipped her chin up. "I will. I swear on everything holy, I will." He kissed her sweetly, gently, and she clung to him. The gate agent announced the final boarding call and Andy kissed her fingertips and disappeared down the jetway.

Somehow, she made it home. As soon as she got inside, the tears finally came. She sat sobbing in the middle of the den floor, with an anxious Perky at her side.

* * *

Provenza met Andy at LAX. They shook hands. "Good to see you. How was your flight?" Provenza asked.

"Ehh. Long," Andy answered.

"You look great. Rested. Put on a couple of pounds, haven't you?"

"My clothes still fit," Andy said, a little testily.

"Yeah, but you were getting a little ragged looking there before you left. Did you have a good time out there?"

"Yeah. Too short."

"When are you going back?"

"When I can get something worked out. I don't know when, exactly."

"How's Kelly?"

"Better, now that she's home. I know why she missed the place. I guess I never thought about how beautiful it is around where she lives, but it is. Her house is really nice, too."

"Did you meet anybody from the Huntsville force?" Provenza asked.

"Yeah, Great people."

"Sounds like you made yourself right at home."

Andy shrugged. "I was kind of surprised. I know I'd miss some things about L.A., but I think I could live there."

Provenza nodded. Andy was quiet and thoughtful, and Provenza had never really seen him like this before. No wisecracking, no banter – just him looking a little lost. So this was more serious than even Provenza had realized.

On the drive to his place, Andy mostly looked out the window and didn't have much to say. As they arrived, Andy got his bags. "Thanks, man. I appreciate you coming to get me. I'll be back at work tomorrow."

"We could get some dinner tonight, if you wanted to," Provenza offered.

"Thanks, but I'm kinda tired. I'm just gonna stay in and rest after that flight," he answered.

"O.K., sure. You all right?"

Andy nodded. "I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you then."

Andy unlocked his door and walked inside. He looked around his place. He had never been much for decorating, but the place looked awfully cold and sterile. And lonely. He checked his watch and added two hours for Central Time. It was seven p.m. in Alabama and he knew Kelly would be anxious to hear that he was safely back. He called her and she answered on the second ring.

"Hey sugar," she said.

"Hi, babe. I'm back at my place."

"I'm glad you got there all right." Andy could hear the tears in her voice. He knew she had been crying. Hell, he felt like it, himself.

"Yeah, it was fine. Provenza met me at the airport. Are you O.K.?"

She sniffed. "As O.K. as I can be for right now, I guess. I miss you already."

"I miss you, too. I'm talking to the chief in the morning, to see what my options are."

"That makes me feel a little better, at least."

"I don't know if they can work anything out, though."

"I know. But maybe. I'm trying to be optimistic here."

They talked for a few more minutes. After he ended the call, he called Sheila to let her know he was back. She could sense the change in Andy, too. After she got off the phone with him, she turned to her husband. "Andy's going back to Alabama, eventually."

"You think so?" Richard said. That would be a relief. Even though Andy Flynn had never been anything but perfectly civil to him – and to Sheila, for that matter - the big cop made Richard extremely uncomfortable.

"I know so. I've known him for twenty years. If he can do it, he will."

* * *

Andy was staring at the television, but not comprehending what he was seeing. That old feeling was back. It raised up occasionally, and he had been successful for ten years in facing it and kicking it out of his head. Tonight though, he could almost smell the bourbon, hear it pouring into the glass, could almost savor its fiery smoothness, taste its smoky tang, feel the sweet numbness it offered him.

He had emptied his pocket change into what was once an ashtray on the side table, and a dull bronze caught his eye. He fished the coin out and looked at it. It was his 10-year AA coin. Ten years of hard-fought, hard-won, tearstained, dearly guarded sobriety. If he gave in tonight, he'd kick himself in the morning. And what would he tell Kelly? Would he tell her at all? That thought alone gave him pause, because it was always the first one in the addiction mindset, which said one had to hide one's addiction from those one loved.

Taking a deep, ragged breath, Andy picked up his cell and called his sponsor.

"Hey, dude, you back from the sunny South?" Jake sounded obscenely cheerful.

"Yeah, man. Just today."

"How did it go, meeting Kelly's mom and all?"

"Great. She likes me. Her family likes me and I like them."

"Awesome. So were you O.K. down there?"

"No problems. I got a lot of rest and the headaches are gone."

"That's good to hear." Jake paused. "But I know you, Andy. What's going on with you?"

Andy sighed. "Just having a rough night. Roughest one I've had in a while, as far as this goes."

Jake made a rueful noise. "It never ceases to amaze me what our triggers are. The whole time you were looking at that rape charge, if you were ever really tempted, you never told me. But tonight, you're struggling. Tell me about it."

"I just — you know how I feel about Kelly. She's 2,000 miles away. And here I am."

"And here you are. You were able to feel angry about the rape charge. And it was justified anger. You deal just fine with anger. What is it about loneliness that gets you?"

"I can usually, eventually, let go of the anger. The loneliness sticks around, I guess," Andy replied.

"And that's why there's a hell of a lot more lonely drunks than angry ones," Jake said. "What else?"

Andy shook his head. "You know, I've had nights when I could almost taste the booze. That I can deal with. What scared the hell out of me tonight though, was how I would justify it to Kelly. Or if I'd even try. I'd just lie to her and say I hadn't slipped. And Jake, man, I was O.K. with that line of reasoning for a minute! I've always been honest with Kelly, but I was telling myself that what she didn't know wouldn't hurt either one of us, and it was actually sounding rational in my head!"

"But you knew it wasn't rational."

"Well, I knew that _thinking_ it was rational was getting back on the crazy train, that's for damn sure," Andy answered.

Jake laughed at that. "So you called me instead. You did good, Andy. You recognized that line of thinking for what it was, but instead of trying to ignore it, or worse, give in to it, you called someone. Andy, we all look off the cliff once in a while. Occasionally, sometimes – most of the time – without us even realizing it, we're standing there on the edge, wondering how we got there and what we're supposed to do about it. But you did what you were supposed to do."

"Then why do I still feel like hitting every bar within three miles of here?"

"Because you're an alcoholic, Andy. Don't forget it."

"I haven't."

"Then think about this. What do you think Kelly would say to you, if she knew what you were thinking?"

"She'd tell me she loves me and I don't need to do this to myself."

"Right, and what if you did it? What would she say?"

"You mean _after_ she beat the hell out of me for lying to her? She'd say hit the road and don't come back until you can come back sober."

That got another laugh. "I knew there was a reason I liked that girl. So what are you risking by getting wasted?"

"Everything. Absolutely everything. The rest of my life."

"Andy, you catch on quick. So is it worth the rest of your life?"

"No way."

Andy could hear paper rustling on the other end. "Hang on a sec. Here. There's a 9 p.m. meeting over at Our Lady of Mercy. As your sponsor, I'm saying you need to go. You need a meeting."

"Yeah, I know it," Andy answered.

"So go. And call me when you get home to tell me you went, all right? Become willing to take direction, O.K.?"

"I am. I'll go. And I'll call you."

"I'll be waiting to hear from you."

Andy sighed again as he hung up. He knew Jake was right. He heaved himself up from his sofa and picked up his car keys. And his AA coin.

There was always something comforting about a meeting. No matter where they were in the world, they usually followed a basic format. They opened with the Serenity Prayer and the recitation of the 12 Steps. That much was a given.

Andy didn't recognize any of the regulars in this particular group, but that was the other thing about AA: no matter where you were, you were all there for the same thing. Everyone introduced themselves and one man stood up to share his story. This group was all men, but that wasn't really unusual. A couple of members told of their struggles after 20 and 25 years of sobriety, which made Andy feel a lot better about himself.

Even though no one was ever forced to say a word in a meeting, the axiom was "recovery is at the front of the room," which meant that sharing one's story was always critical in the recovery journey. Andy really didn't feel like talking, but he knew he had it to do. So, he stood and said, "My name is Andy and I'm an alcoholic."

"Hi Andy," the chorus came back.

"I've got ten years of sobriety. I have my home group where I usually go to meetings, but tonight, I needed one. I was really in a bad place. So I called my sponsor and we talked and he found this group and pretty much ordered me to get to a meeting." Chuckles went around the room. They'd all been there.

"I told him I'd come and here I am. I met this great woman. I really care about her, but as of today, she's on the other side of the country, and I don't know how we're going to deal with it. It's bad because this is like, the first healthy, helpful relationship I've had in, oh God, years. And I'm sober, my life is together, and I can actually _have_ a healthy relationship, and she's 2,000 miles away. So I'm feeling really lonely and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm resenting this woman because she had to go home. I'm thinking she should have stayed here, but she was miserable and she has all her family there. You know, the addict in me says she should have stayed here for _me_, so _I_ could be happy and she could be there for _me_, when _I_ needed her, instead of doing what she needed to do, which was go home."

"So what's your plan of action?" one of the men asked.

Andy shrugged. "Talk to my boss. See what we can work out about me keeping my pension if I relocate. I really don't have that much to keep me here, but her family is there. Her mom is 82 and she doesn't feel like she can leave her. Besides, she hates L.A."

"So this isn't you trying to take the geographical cure," another man said.

"No, not at all. Had I not met this woman, I wouldn't even think about relocating. So in the meantime, I guess I'll be at daily, or almost daily meetings, to deal with this, calling my sponsor and working my program. One day at a time, y'know. What else can I do?" He sat down.

"That's all you can do, Andy," said the group leader. "We're glad you came by tonight and hope we'll see you again."

The meeting ended and as he walked out with the rest of the men, several offered words of encouragement, which made him feel better. He got home, called Jake and checked in, then he went to bed. Morning came early.

* * *

Elle came by to see Kelly, knowing she had a bad day. She brought Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy ice cream with her.

"Oh, Elliebelle!" Kelly exclaimed. "That's just what I need!

"I thought maybe it was."

"I was going to watch 'Operation Petticoat' and 'Father Goose.' I cannot be sad when I'm watching those movies. Want to stay?"

"Of course. I know you're not O.K., so I'm not even going to ask."

Kelly nodded. "True. But here's something." She held up a red shirt. "Andy left this in the laundry hamper."

"Are you going to send it to him?" Elle asked.

"No. It smells like him. I'm probably going to sleep with it."

Elle smiled. "I don't blame you. If I'd found it here, I'd have taken it home with me. I like the way he smells, too," she teased.

Kelly grinned. "I knew you had a crush on him."

Elle looked sidelong at Kelly. "Well, maybe just a teeny, tiny one. Mostly, though, I just love him to pieces because he's made you so happy. And if he doesn't come back, I'm going to L.A. and I'm going to kidnap him!"

Kelly turned on the DVD player. "He'd probably come with you, too."

* * *

Brenda Leigh Johnson had seen Andy Flynn pissed off beyond all reason. She had seen him cheerful when a case was going well. She had seen him upset and worried when a colleague was in trouble. But she had never seen him like this. This was not the Andy Flynn she was accustomed to seeing. He was quiet, for one thing. He had been to see the doctor that morning, who was pleased with his condition and signed his fitness for duty report. He left it on Brenda's desk without a word except, "Morning, Chief."

He sat at his desk, staring moodily into space. He greeted the crew as they drifted into the office, but didn't have much to say otherwise. Provenza had obviously briefed them on the inadvisability of saying much to him, so they left him mostly to himself.

That suited Andy. Today, he wasn't interested in socializing. He knew he was touchy and irritable, and he didn't want to explode at someone for no reason. He wished they would catch a case so he could have something to do besides miss Kelly.

Brenda peeked out the door. "Lieutenant, can you come in here a minute?" she asked.

"Sure, Chief." He was expecting this. He went into her office and closed the door. "What's up?"

"Sit down, Andy," she said. "I've talked to Kelly so I know you had a good time out there. Did you like it?"

He nodded. "It's really different, but yeah. I liked it a lot."

She smiled. "People just don't realize how beautiful it is, do they?"

"No. I sure didn't."

"You planning on going back?" she asked.

"As soon as I can. For good, if we can work it out."

Brenda gave him a wry grin. "See, I knew in November we'd be having this conversation. I knew I was going to lose you. I told Kelly that."

"Stupid question, I guess, but your family's all back East. You manage to stay here. Don't you want to go back?"

Brenda cocked her head to one side. "I do. But I have a job to do here. But I've already told Fritzie we'll be going back one of these days. Maybe when I retire. But there are some days when the smog is bad and the traffic is horrendous and the noise is getting to me, that I'd get on a plane in a minute and go back to Georgia. I'd go to one of those little mountain towns and hole up and not come out for six months. Those mountains call to me, sometimes."

"Kelly said something similar."

"I'm not surprised. But that reminds me." Brenda reached into her desk and took out a folder. "Kelly sent me a copy." It was the photo they had made in Blue Ridge. She chuckled. "I have to say, I about died laughing when I saw it. I never thought I'd ever see you do anything like this, but I knew something had changed in you when I saw it. It's really kind of apt. Kelly's sense of humor sticks out all over it. It's actually a great picture, though. I like it."

"Don't let Provenza see it."

Brenda grinned. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that to you." She returned the photo to her desk and went to sit next to Andy. She put her hand over his. "Andy, I know I don't have to worry about you doing your job. That's not even an issue. And I know you miss Kelly. _I_ miss her! I want you to know you can talk to me if you need to. But Andy, there's a change in the wind around here. I'm not sure when, or exactly the form it's going to take, but change is coming. The LAPD is going over the budget for the year. They want to cut their salary burden."

"Yeah? So what's gonna happen?"

"Like I said, I'm not exactly sure, but I have a couple of ideas. I'm not even going to mention them yet, because they're kind of out in left field, and there's enough red tape involved to stretch from here to the moon and back. Twice. But we may be able to work this change to your advantage. We'll just have to see."

"I hate waiting. I hate bureaucracy even worse."

Brenda squeezed his hand. "Like I didn't know that about you, Andy Flynn. But listen to me. You'll have to be on your very best behavior around some of these bureaucrats. They might be the ones who help you get back to Alabama."

"I'll be an angel, Chief."

Brenda looked at him doubtfully. "Well, don't let that halo slip down around your neck and choke you."

That got the first genuine smile she'd seen on Andy's face. "Sounds just like something Kelly would say. Did you know that, in Huntsville, they call her Kellybean?"

She smiled. "I had no idea. And I'll keep you updated on this, I promise. I just wanted to see where your head was, although I had a pretty good idea, and that, if you were planning to go back, I'd do everything I could to help you get there. I'll hate losing you like everything, but seeing you happy is even more important. We have a tough job, and sometimes, happiness is real hard to find. So you have to hang on to it. I have to remind myself of that, too."

"O.K. Thanks, Chief. I mean it. Really."

"I know, Andy. I'll be talking to you."

He nodded, stood and walked out of her office.

Brenda watched him go back to his desk. He had hardly said a word. She had wanted to give him a big hug, but she knew that would make him extremely uncomfortable. So she settled for patting his hand and trying to sympathize with him. He just looked so – alone.

* * *

Kelly was at her desk, trying to make some sense of its contents. After six months gone, it was a complete wreck. It took a couple of hours, but she finally had it vaguely organized. It was better to keep moving, she found. Otherwise, she started thinking too much, and she'd already had to go to the ladies room three times to dab her eyes and blow her nose.

Shantina caught her in the bathroom once. "Kelly, hon, are you all right?" she asked.

"I guess so. I'm just sad. I just miss him so much!" she cried and burst into tears again. "What if I never see him again?"

Shantina hugged her friend. "Oh honey, don't take on so. You'll make yourself sick. He'll be back. You take my word for it. As quick as he can get here, he'll be here. He _loves_ you!"

Kelly nodded and wiped her eyes. "I know he does. I just feel like I'm being unfair to him to be the one to ask him to make the move. I'd have gotten used to L.A., eventually. I guess."

"Did he ever ask you to make the move?"

"No."

"Then there's nothing that strong keeping him there. Come on, honey. Fix your face. He's not gone for good. You wait and see."

"Thanks Shantina. I feel like I'm acting about like I'm 15."

Shantina smiled at Kelly. "Baby, when you're in love, this is how you act. And what are friends for? You remember when Darrell and I got divorced? You just sat there with me, you and a box of tissues, and you just kept handing me tissues. And you even helped me clean up the used ones. I'll never forget it. Let's go on back to the squad room. It'll be all right."

Kelly nodded and blew her nose again.

"O.K. Kelly. I want to see that picture you all had made in Georgia," Cindy Dutton said, coming to Kelly's desk.

"Really?" Kelly grinned and turned to her computer. She had downloaded the digital image to her desktop. She opened the file.

"Wow! That's great! Looks a heck of a lot better than the one we had made in Gatlinburg! Landon was dressed as the town marshal and I was the saloon girl."

"That's what Andy wanted to do, but I said it was this or nothing."

Cindy peered closer at the photo. "That's awesome work. It looks like it was really made in the 1860s."

"Yeah, the guy is good."

Lacey had to see what was going on and her eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh! That's almost spooky looking! My grandmother has a picture of her grandparents that looks just that."

"We both kind of got the creeps when we looked in the mirror at ourselves," Kelly admitted. "It was a little strange, I'll have to say."

"But look at Andy in that uniform. It looks like it was made for him," Cindy said.

"He's never taken a bad picture in his life, I'll bet," Lacey agreed.

"He hasn't," Kelly said, a little miffed. "Not even in high school. He showed me his senior yearbook. He never had a dorky, awkward day in his life. They had senior baby pictures in there, and he was adorable then. He went to a Catholic high school, so it was a little smaller, and he's in a couple of the candid shots. Yeah, he's mugging for the camera, but that was it. And they had uniforms, so no chance of a good shot of him in polyester pants or something. Darn it. Also because it was a Catholic school, they had fairly strict rules about how long the boys could wear their hair and so forth. So he looked like Mr. Esquire Junior, even then."

"Not even a hope for him in those little short basketball trunks they wore then?" Shantina said.

Kelly shook her head. "Not even that. He played baseball. And since he was six feet tall then, the uniform fit him to a 'T'. He was still rangy – hadn't really filled out yet, but he still looked like a pro."

"Doesn't that make you sick?" Lacey said. "I hate my school pictures. I had a mouthful of braces and glasses. Ugh. And my braces were the real railroad tracks kind, with upper and lower wires on each bracket."

"Oh you poor thing," Kelly said. "I remember when a friend of mine had to get her braces tightened, like every three months. She was on bread and milk for a day or two after."

"Braces are of the devil," Lacey said. "And now, they have the lightweight plastic ones, and the clear ones. And you don't have to wear them for _four years_ like I did!" She rolled her eyes.

"No resentment there," Cindy said and they all laughed.

* * *

Andy checked his watch. He thought Kelly might be home so he took a chance on calling her. Kelly heard the phone ringing as she unlocked her door. She ran to it and saw it was Andy.

"Hey, honey," she answered.

"Hiya. How are you?"

"Oh, all right I guess," she answered. "You?"

"Provenza says I'm pissed off at the world. He probably has a point."

Kelly clicked her tongue. "I'm sorry, sugar. Did you see the doctor? What did he say?"

"That I'm healthy as a horse and he hasn't seen me look so good in years."

"Well that's good, at least. Did you talk to Brenda?"

"Yeah. She said some changes are coming, but wouldn't get specific."

"Really? Well, we can hope that's a good thing. I missed you today."

"I missed you last night and this morning and this second," Andy replied. "Wonder how far down the road I could get in my car?"

"In that clunker? You'd be lucky to make it to the state line. When you come back, sell it out there and buy a nice car here."

"You've got it all figured out now?"

"Mostly. Ellie said if you didn't come back, she was coming out to L.A. to kidnap you."

"She wouldn't have to kidnap me. I'd go willingly."

Kelly laughed. "I told her exactly that."

"I have to tell you, babe. I nearly slipped last night. But I called Jake and went to a meeting and I'm better now, but I wanted to tell you. Keeps me honest."

Kelly's heart suddenly ached for Andy. "I'm so sorry you had a bad night, honey. But I'm so proud of you for working your program anyway. That's great."

"You're not upset because I didn't call you last night?"

"No, you needed to talk to your sponsor. You're telling me now, aren't you? So that's what you were supposed to do."

Relief flooded over Andy. He knew he had done the right thing in telling her. He didn't know why she would think less of him for going through a rough spot. "I could almost taste the bourbon," he said.

"Bless your heart. I'm so glad you muscled through it. I know it wasn't easy. And I'll bet every dime I've got you thought about just getting wasted and not telling me because you knew I'd never find out if you didn't tell me."

"How the hell do you manage to crawl inside my head and start walking around in there without me noticing?" Andy exclaimed.

Kelly chuckled. "I'm a cop, baby. It's how I do my job. I try not to do it too much, though. You're head's a scary place to be. Way too much clutter. Too easy to step into something nasty. And the smut up there? Goodness!"

"That smut serves a purpose," Andy replied, then his baritone deepened. "I can do great phone sex."

Little hot fingers walked up Kelly's spine when he said that. "Don't say stuff like that. If I can't have the real thing, I'd just rather not. I'll just pull a Brenda and go eat some chocolate."

"Ding dongs maybe?" he said evilly.

"Eeeewww! You know I hate those things! I don't even like them as a double _entendr__e_. The very idea makes me a little sickish feeling. Yuck."

"O.K. I give up," Andy said with a chuckle. "I forget. Brenda likes chocolate and sweet. You like bittersweet chocolate. With coffee."

"Right. Or peanut butter. Either one works fine."

"I'll send you some of those espresso brownies, if they'll mail them to Alabama," Andy said.

"That, I'll let you do. Wonder if they'd part with a home version of the recipe?"

"What would it get me if I checked on it for you?"

"You could almost name your price. I'll have to think about it."

They talked for a long while, when finally, Kelly said, "Sugar, I have to get some sleep. You behave yourself and don't scrap too much with your co-workers, all right? It's not their fault you're there and I'm here."

"I know you need some rest. I guess I do, too. Goodnight, babe. I love you. Sweet dreams." That last was said in a tone that Kelly could almost feel as a caress.

"I love you too, honey. Goodnight."

As she hung up, she realized Andy hadn't said a word about not getting into arguments with the rest of the MC crew. Those poor guys. Kelly hoped they could get through the next little while without killing each other.  
When she went to bed, she snuggled Andy's shirt to her cheek. Drifting off to sleep with his scent in her nostrils, she could almost convince herself he was next to her. Surely, they could work something out. She needed him too much.

Andy looked at the time. If he left now, he could make it to his regular group's AA meeting. He knew he was going to be seeing a lot of those guys in the near future. Kelly was under his skin and in his blood and until she was back in his arms, he was going to need a lot of healthy support to stay sober. Something was bound to work out. Brenda had said it would. She always kept her word. He had to get back to Kelly.


	24. Chapter 24: Home and Dry

**A/N:** Now you didn't think I was going to let Andy languish in misery out there in L.A., did you? Probably one more chapter to go. It's been great fun writing it. Please, as always, R&R!

_Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."_

* * *

**Chapter 24: Home and Dry**

It was a beautiful, uncommonly warm Saturday afternoon in late March. Kelly could tell the dogwood trees were nearly ready to bloom, as were many of the other flowering shrubs. Her forsythia bushes were beautiful this year, and even the bridal wreath and flowering almond shrubs were in bloom.

She looked at her car. With all the rain this spring, it was in sad shape and covered with mud – and lately, pollen. It was a beautiful day and she had nothing else constructive to do, so it was definitely time to wash the car. Waxing might come later. She didn't think she had the motivation to do that much today. She gathered her car wash supplies, filled the bucket with soap and water, wet the car down with the hose and started soaping it with a terry mitt.

As she worked, as always, her mind went back to the summer — unquestionably the most incredible time in her life. She had met the man she loved. And wasn't it just like a Southern Gothic novel that they lived 2,000 miles apart? She had gone over this mental territory until there were ruts in the story. Andy was right: it wasn't fair. They wanted and needed each other, but both had lives in their respective places.

Even though she and Andy had talked just yesterday, she wanted him here, with her. The only thing that worried Kelly was that he might meet someone else in L.A. Lots of beautiful women there. Like Andy, she had her own demons to deal with where relationships were concerned. She sat on the ground and scrubbed at the wheel covers. They were caked with mud. She rinsed them with the hose and figured she had done about all she could to them.

As she worked at the grime underneath the spoiler on the trunk, grateful for something, anything to do to take up her time and occupy her mind, a voice said behind her, "Need some help with that?" Kelly turned and swore she was seeing things. Andy stood there, with that roguish grin, looking like the cover of a magazine, and she was suddenly acutely aware that she was sweaty, barefoot, wearing old shorts and a T-shirt, her hair was dragged back into a limp ponytail, and she had a wet backside from sitting on the concrete, cleaning the tires.

"Special delivery, Kellybean!" called another voice. She looked over to see Casey hauling two large suitcases out of the back of his truck. Without asking, he took them inside, as Kelly just stood, looking at Andy.

"Well aren't you just a little glad to see me?" he said.

Kelly nodded wordlessly, her eyes wide.

Andy's eyes softened and he reached to stroke her face. Kelly put her hand over his. "I wanted to surprise you. Looks like I did," he said, his voice gently teasing.

"You two have fun, now!" Casey yelled. He was walking to his truck. He waved and got in.

"Thanks for the lift!" Andy called.

"No problem, man!" Casey answered. He gunned the engine and roared off down the street.

"How?" Kelly managed. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"How did I get here? Long story, and I don't feel much like telling it now." He went to the spigot and turned off the water, and came back to Kelly, who was just standing in the driveway, watching him. He took the towel from her and tossed it into the bucket and held out his hand to her.

"I'm a total wreck," she said, taking his hand.

He grinned at her. "You're gorgeous. Best thing I've seen in two months."

"I can't believe you're here."

"Believe it, babe. For as long as you want me, I'm here." He pulled her close. "Let's go in. I don't think the neighbors would appreciate seeing how I'm planning on letting you know what hell I've been in, missing you."

"You're tired and I need a shower," Kelly said.

"I'm not that tired, and I'd love to wash your hair for you," he answered, with that twinkle in his dark eyes.

Kelly had dreamed this would happen, but what told her it wasn't a dream was that, instead of meeting him at the airport and going to some romantic locale, he found her in her driveway, looking like a drowned rat. She laughed at the thought and led Andy inside and closed the door.

When the door shut, Andy took her in his arms and kissed her so gently, slowly, leisurely, deeply, sweetly. Kelly tried to hurry him a little, but he wouldn't, keeping that slow pace.

"For the whole six hours on that plane, all I was thinking about was how I was gonna kiss you," he whispered. "I'm not rushing through a second of it."

Kelly pulled his shirt out of the waist of his jeans. She brought one hand around and unbuttoned his shirt. He shrugged out of it and Kelly could feel his smooth, warm skin under her hands. His hands came under her shirt and unfastened her bra. In one motion, he had both over her head and pulled her close again. Even when she dreamed about holding Andy, it wasn't nearly as good as the reality of actually having him, warm and solid, his skin against hers.

"Please, can I just go stand in the shower for two minutes to get the gravel off?" she said.

"Not unless I go with you. You think I'm gonna let you out of my arms? You'd better think again."

"C'mon, Andy. Be nice. I just feel so filthy!"

"You are just not gonna believe how – nice – I'm gonna be to you. I told you I'd help you wash your hair. What more can you ask a guy to do?"

"Haven't been here ten minutes and you're already determined to be a pill," Kelly answered, although her tone was teasing.

She felt Andy's chuckle rumble through his chest, but all he did was to start walking her backward down the hall, into her bathroom, kissing her the whole time. When they got to the bathroom, he drew back for a moment. "Turn on the water," he said. Kelly did, and he took her in his arms again, his hands sliding her shorts and underwear down her hips.

"You're serious," Kelly said.

"Damn right, I am. You'll be lucky if I let you out of this house all weekend," he growled against her neck.

That sent a thrill down Kelly's spine as she undid Andy's jeans. Those, along with his underwear, came off, and for the first time in two months, she felt his body all along the length of hers. It was the most wonderful feeling ever. She stepped into the shower, under the warm water, and he did too. Now this was a first. Even in the hot tub at the cabin, they had been wearing something. Andy turned Kelly around and wet her hair under the spray. He grabbed the shampoo and lathered her hair.

All right. This was bliss. Feeling Andy's hands in her hair was nearly enough to bring Kelly to her knees. They were definitely feeling weak, as it was. And when those hands, slick with soap, wandered down the rest of her body, over her breasts, down her sides, she did lean back against him for support.

Andy rinsed her hair and turned her around for another hot, deep kiss. He turned off the water, then reached for a towel. He dried Kelly's hair to damp and even dried her back off.

With another towel, he dried his own hair. "I never was a fan of sex on a hard floor, but I don't know if I can wait to get you to the bed," he said.

A little spark of devilment ignited inside Kelly and she gave him an evil grin. "Do try," she said and slipped out of the bathroom before he could catch her.

"Hellcat!" he yelled and went after her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, having pulled the covers back. And she was actually laughing at him.

"Now that was funny, getting a man to run buck naked through the house, after me!"

Andy thought it was funny too, but he would never let her know it. So he settled for pushing her down on the bed and kissing her again. Not that she was exactly resisting, as she wrapped her legs around him.

"I've been waking up in a cold sweat, wanting you," he said.

"Here I am," she answered.

Andy's body was insisting he get on with it, but he wanted it to feel as good for Kelly as it did for him, so he did his best to calm himself and focus on loving her. His mouth covered one breast and she sighed. "So good, babe. So, so good," she murmured. He turned his attention to her other breast and she arched her back, moaning, whimpering with the heat in her blood.

"Do you want it now?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah. Right now."

Summoning every ounce of self control he had, Andy pressed himself into her heat, slowly, slowly, willing himself not to climax the second he was inside her.

Kelly was past speech. All she could do was hold him inside her and trust him with her body. But she did trust him implicitly and he started a rhythm that built in speed and intensity until he could feel her come apart in his arms. Her climax sparked his and he rode the wave out until he collapsed beside her.

"I love you, Kelly. Oh, God, how I love you," he said, folding her still-shuddering body to his.

"I love you, Andy," she said.

Fatigue overwhelmed Andy and he was asleep nearly immediately. Kelly stayed awake just a moment longer, wondering how this had happened. But soon, she was sleeping where she most wanted to be: in Andy's arms.

* * *

When Andy woke up, the light was dim. Kelly wasn't beside him and he tried to focus on the clock. He sat up and narrowed his eyes at the display, bringing it into clear view. It said 7:15. Four hours? He had been asleep four hours? Wow. He sniffed the air. Something was cooking, for sure. He hadn't known when Kelly got out of bed, which meant he was really dead to the world. He shifted, and a shape at the foot of the bed rolled over and chirruped at him. It was Perky. Andy reached to stroke the big cat's head and got up and stretched. His clothes, he saw, lay neatly on a chair. He picked them up, but they weren't what he had on before. They were clean. He shook his head. Kelly was already starting to look after him again.

He dressed and followed his nose into the kitchen, where Kelly was putting together a salad. He put his arms around her from behind and she leaned against him. "Did you have a good nap?" she said.

"Fantastic. I always sleep like a log out here." He nuzzled her neck.

She brought her hand to his head and leaned in to his mouth. It was good to have him home, where he belonged.

"Can I do anything?" he asked.

Kelly laughed. "As a matter of fact, yes. I bagged up some garbage. Would you take it outside, please?"

Well, wasn't this romantic, Andy thought. In Kelly's house half a day, and already she was acting like they were married. He might as well get used to it, he supposed, since marriage was definitely on his mind. At least she said "please."

"Yeah, where is it?" he said, resignation in his voice.

"Over in the corner by the trash can. What is it? You object to taking out a bag of garbage?"

"No, not exactly..." his voice trailed off.

Kelly turned to face him, hands on her hips. "Listen here, mister. You're the one who came trotting in here from L.A. with two suitcases the size of small Volkswagens and announced you're here to stay. That puts you up there at 'roommate with privileges' status, at the very least. Which means you help, too. Get movin'."

"O.K.! O.K.! I'm doin' it!" He turned and leaned over to pick up the garbage bag, and for emphasis, Kelly smacked him lightly on his backside. He whirled and the look he gave her was priceless.

Kelly grinned hugely and pointed to the back door. Still a little gobsmacked, he obediently took the garbage outside. He came back inside and said, "What's with whacking my ass?"

"It didn't even sting, you big baby," Kelly replied. "It was such a tempting target," she laughed.

"So I'm gonna have to worry about that every time I lean over?"

"Not every time. It would lose its effectiveness," Kelly answered.

"So what if I do that to you when you bend over?" he asked.

Kelly peered at him over her glasses. "Try it and see what happens."

Now, Andy didn't like that tone of voice, at all, and his better judgment told him this was one discussion best tabled for another time. So, he leaned against the counter instead. "Thanks for cooking, sweetheart," he said.

"You're welcome, sugar."

If she was calling him 'sugar' she wasn't pissed at him. "What's on the menu?"

"Spinach lasagna, salad and garlic bread," she answered.

"Sounds great." He pulled her to him. "I have to say I'm sorry, though."

Kelly looked puzzled. "For what?"

"For coming in, sweeping you off your feet and into bed, and then falling asleep without so much as a cuddle. I owe you one."

She snickered. "Honestly? I'm surprised you weren't so tired that you didn't just kiss the air in my general direction and hit the sack. But I'll collect on those cuddles, definitely. So, are you ready to tell that long story? I think by the time you're through telling it, that the lasagna will be done."

He smiled and kissed her. "Yeah." He led her to the kitchen table and they sat. "I can't begin to tell you how ungodly miserable I was out there. You know I was tempted to start drinking again, and might as well have, as nasty as I got. Finally, Sheila, of all people, just sat me down and told me I had to do something, work something out. I mean, she's known me over twenty years. She said there wasn't any point in me staying in L.A. and being in a total funk the whole time. So, I talked to Brenda again. But she had known all along it wouldn't be long before I went begging one more time for some kind of solution."

"So what happened?"

"Well, it turned out that a major reshuffle was in the works, anyhow. You know, she said changes were coming. Pope was more or less forcing Brenda to take the assistant chief of police position. And Fritz was all for it, too. So she did it."

"Wow. But I'd wondered how long she could hold out in Major Crimes."

"Yeah, we all did. Anyway, you know they've really been wanting to cut jobs, so Provenza just gave in and retired. Taylor took over Major Crimes and he wanted his own team. He kept Tao and Gabriel, but Sanchez was promoted to Lieutenant and is heading up a special anti-gang unit. Which reminds me, Provenza said to tell you he gave Al to Mike Tao."

Kelly chuckled. "I'm glad he did. And I'm tickled for Sanchez. So where does all this leave you?"

"I'm gettin' to that. Taylor and Brenda actually got it worked out for me that I'd be 'on loan' to the Huntsville PD. Huntsville will pay my salary and benefits, but I keep my LAPD pension, and my rank. It works for everybody. I don't have to stop being a cop, the LAPD gets out from under my salary, and your chief said they needed another experienced hand in the homicide division, since you've got one on maternity leave and a lieutenant retiring in three months." Cindy Dutton had gone a month early, to be on bedrest.

"Quite a pay cut, though," Kelly said.

Andy shrugged. "Yeah, but the cost of living isn't nearly as high here, and if I'm sharing expenses with my 'roommate with privileges,' I think I'll do all right. I didn't tell you anything because I honestly didn't know if it was all going to work out. And I wanted to surprise you." He grinned.

Kelly shook her head. "Well you did that, sure enough. I nearly had a heart attack."

"Sorry about that," Andy replied. "I called Casey last night and asked if he could pick me up and of course, he said he would. I don't know how many times he blessed your heart on the ride over here, talking about how 'pure dee pitiful' you'd been, to quote him, since I left."

"Big mouth," Kelly said, without heat.

"So the upshot is, I go into work with you on Monday morning and start learning the ropes. I've been reading the Code of Alabama online so I'll know more about the criminal laws here."

"Good start. I was going to suggest that." She looked over at the oven. "I'll bet our supper is ready. You hungry?"

"Oh yeah."

* * *

After supper, they were on the sofa and Andy was delivering on the cuddle promise, when he said, "Stay where you are. I'll be back in just a sec." He disappeared into the bedroom and Kelly could hear movement, when he came back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just checking on something in my carry-on," he answered.

"O.K.," Kelly answered and put her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Babe, I think I'd like to upgrade the roommate status," he said.

She laughed. "How's that?"

Andy reached to his back pocket and took out a longish jewelry case. "Well, I know you don't wear rings, but I wanted to have something for you something when I asked you."

Kelly sat up and faced him. "Asked me what?" she said, her heart suddenly pounding.

Andy took her hands, suddenly gone ice-cold. "Kelly, I love you. Would you please be my wife?" He then handed her the case.

Kelly opened it. Inside was an absolutely beautiful string of pearls. She looked up into Andy's anxious eyes and threw her arms around him. "Yes, yes, yes! And the pearls are gorgeous!" Tears started down her face.

Andy held her close. "Don't cry," he said.

"I'm just so happy!" she exclaimed. "I love you, too!"

As they held each other, Kelly said, "When do you want to set the date?"

"How soon do you want it to be and where?" he answered.

Kelly thought. "As soon as possible. As for where, there's a beautiful little chapel at the summer camp where I went as a kid. It was always my favorite place. It's just a tiny place –big enough for maybe 10 or 15 people. If that. And I'd love to have the pastor who baptized me to perform the ceremony. How about two weeks from today? That would at least give me time to get a nice dress and us to get the license."

"So who'll be in that little place?"

"How about just us, the preacher and his wife and Elle as witnesses?"

"That sounds great. What about a honeymoon?"

Kelly chuckled. "I think we kind of had a honeymoon in December. But how about we get the bridal suite at the Wynfrey in Birmingham and come back the next day, then we can plan for a nice week somewhere in a couple of months? Maybe the beach?"

Andy nodded. "That sounds great," he said.

"Now tell me about the pearls. They are absolutely stunning."

He smiled. "Brenda helped me pick them out, to be honest. She said that pearls are classic, they never go out of style and every Southern woman dreams of having her very own string of real pearls. So I figured I couldn't go wrong with that much authority behind the statement. There's a place in Beverly Hills that specializes in pearl jewelry. That's where they came from."

Kelly whistled low. "At the risk of sounding tacky and ungrateful, I can't imagine what you must have spent on them. I don't know that I'm worth that much!"

Andy took her in his arms again. "You're worth whatever it takes. I decided that a long time ago."

"Charmer," Kelly teased and looked again at the necklace. "I love that pinkish-gold tint they have. And the clasp is a sapphire. My stars, Andrew!"

"Well, your birthstone is sapphire. And Brenda thought it really set off the pearls. She went with me to pick them out. I think she was afraid of what I'd choose if she didn't come with me."

Kelly laughed. "That's funny. But I think you'd have probably done just fine all by yourself. You're not a cretin, after all. She just wanted to see what you bought before anybody else did."

Andy took the case from her and removed the pearls. "Let's see how they look on you," he said. He placed them around her neck and fastened them.

Kelly put a hand to her throat. He had even bought the 24-inch string. An 18-inch would have been a little snug around her neck. "Well?" she said.

"They weren't nearly as gorgeous until you put them on," he said.

"Oooh, you are a silver-tongued devil tonight. The blarney is all over you."

"It's only blarney if it's not sincere. I am absolutely sincere."

Kelly kissed him. "Sincerity will get you everywhere," she said.

"I can't even start to tell you how much I've missed you," Andy said. "That apartment was the loneliest place in the world."

"My house was pretty empty, too," Kelly answered. She ducked her head to his chest. "You left that red chamois shirt behind in the hamper. I took it to bed with me because it smelled like you."

Something about that little confession went straight to Andy's heart and made him hold Kelly closer, wondering for the umpteenth time how he had ever deserved another chance to love someone.

"Well, you can retire the shirt," he said. "You can hold on to me, now."

"That definitely works for me," she answered.

Andy sighed and closed his eyes. He nuzzled Kelly's hair and said, "Babe, as much as I'd love to, as you say, 'get nekkid' again, you know, I think I'm just gonna have to go straight to bed."

Kelly chuckled. "It's all right, hon. You're a six-hour flight and two time zones off your schedule. I know you're bushed. Go on to bed, sweetheart. You need the rest."

* * *

The homicide crew hailed Andy as he and Kelly walked into the room Monday morning. Morris came to shake his hand. "Great to have you on the team. You should be just about up to speed by the time I'm outta here," he teased, since he was the one who was retiring.

"Good to be here," Andy replied.

The squad chief appeared about then and Andy noticed they were much more informal in how they greeted him. He came to Andy and said, "Chief Doug Carroll. Good to finally meet you. Maybe we can get some work out of that detective, now," he said with a wink. Kelly, unbelievably, stuck her tongue out at him in response, which just made him laugh.

"We try to keep it light around here," Chief Carroll said. "Otherwise, we'd all go nuts. So I guess the first thing you'll need to do is go to personnel and fill out about a ream's worth of paperwork and get your ID badge. Kelly, you want to walk down there with him?"

"Sure, Chief. C'mon, Andy. Let's get you officially official."

He carried a folder full of paperwork. "I feel like I've already filled out enough forms for a small army," he said as they got on the elevator.

"I know it. But they have to do it all here, too." She introduced Andy to the personnel manager and said, "I'll be in the squadroom when you're through."

When she was settled back in at her desk, Shantina edged over to her. "I haven't seen you this happy since the first of January," she said.

"I haven't been this happy," Kelly replied, grinning.

"So when did he get here?"

"Saturday afternoon. I was washing the car. I was a mess. Ratty old T-shirt and shorts, scraggly hair and barefoot. And he turns up looking like the cover of GQ. I didn't know whether to kiss him or kill him," Kelly chuckled.

"I think I know which one you picked," Shantina said.

"No doubt. But there's something else," she said with an arch look.

Shantina raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"He also proposed Saturday night."

"Girl! Finally! I thought you two were just gonna run off and do it when he was here in December. That's wonderful!" She hugged her friend.

Kelly grinned. "And you should see the pearls he bought for me. They are gorgeous."

Lacey popped up. "Did I hear something about a proposal?" she asked.

"He _finally_ got around to it," Shantina said.

"Is that so? Congrats, Kelly! That's wonderful. And pearls, not a ring?"

"Yeah. I mean, when do I wear rings? But pearls, now…"

"Classic. Never go out of style," Lacey confirmed. "So when's the big day?"

"A week from Saturday. We're just going to the chapel at camp with us, the preacher and his wife and Ellie. No fuss. We'll spend the night in Birmingham and come back on Sunday."

"I'd have loved to help you plan a big wedding, but Lord have mercy, you've waited long enough for this man, so I guess this is the best way to do it," Shantina said.

"That's kind of how I felt," Kelly laughed. "Get him hog-tied and then he can't run off."

Morris leaned back in his chair and looked over at the chief. "None of those women are gonna be worth a flip until after that wedding," he said.

Chief Carroll grinned. "I know it, but if we get a case, they'll settle down."

"Yeah, they will," he answered.

It was nearly noon by the time Andy returned to the squad room.

Kelly was on the phone when he came in and grinned at him. He shook his right hand, pantomiming how much paperwork he had to fill out. Her grin widened and she listened to the caller. "Yes, Mr. Ells. I understand it's very upsetting for you. Would you like me to call the CIA and have them remove their agents from underneath your trailer? Yes, I'll be happy to do that. And I'll call the TV station and tell them to move their cameras out of your pecan trees. They're scaring the birds away. Yes, I completely understand. Certainly, it's trespassing and an invasion of privacy. Oh, I'll be glad to file the trespassing order for you. No, no, you don't have to come in. I can do all that from here. Yes, computers are wonderful, aren't they? Oh no, sir. I understand why you don't have one. We have to protect our privacy. Yes, Mr. Ells, I'm getting the order filed right now. It will be in force by 5 p.m. today. You're very welcome sir. And, can I get your daughter's name one more time, and her number? I want to let her know what we've done for you today. Can you give me that? Oh, thank you so much. I'll give her a call. Yes sir. You have a nice day, too. Goodbye." Kelly hung up the phone and sighed.

"What the hell was that?" Andy said.

The squad room broke into chuckles. Kelly shook her head. "Mr. Ells. Bless his heart. He must be off his meds again. The CIA is under his trailer. Again."

"_Again_?" Andy said.

"Again. They're worse than the FBI, he says, because they leave their pizza boxes and beer bottles in the yard. The FBI agents clean up after themselves." Kelly said all this with a straight face as the rest of the squad hooted with laughter. "I'll have to call his daughter so she can see about him." She turned and picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes, Mrs. Terry? This is Detective Kelly Hargrove, from the Huntsville Police Department. No, your dad is fine. I just spoke with him on the phone, and thought you needed to know he's a little confused right now. Well, the CIA agents are under his trailer again. Yes, I'm afraid so. You may want to go check on him and make sure his meds are all right. No, ma'am, it's really not any trouble. If he calls me, then I can call someone who can help him. No need to apologize. No, I'm just glad he's all right. You're welcome, Mrs. Terry. Take care." She ended the call. "His daughter's going to check on him."

"How did you get that call?" Andy asked.

"She gets all the nut calls," Casey said. "She's good with them. She listens to them and tells them she'll file a protection order or something. And that satisfies them."

"Well, a lot of them are older people and they don't have a thing in the world to do except watch 'COPS' on TV and all the reality shows. It starts to scramble their brains, after a while," Kelly said. "One dear soul used to call me all the time about all kinds of stuff. I talked to her son and he arranged for someone to take her to the senior center three days a week. She got out of that house and the calls stopped. She's fine, but she has something else to occupy her mind, so she's not calling."

Andy chuckled. "I'll bet Provenza will be driving them crazy. Do you know Sanchez got him a police scanner as a retirement gift?"

"A scanner? Oh, dear God." Kelly laughed as a thought struck her. "That was revenge, you know it? Julio won't have to deal with the calls, but Taylor will. Maybe give him one-way tickets to Tahiti or something useful, but a police scanner? He'll be calling Taylor every time somebody twitches."

Morris chuckled. "There's nothing worse than a retired officer with a scanner. So I'd better not get one when I go!"

"I'll get you one that'll pick up Huntsville City and Madison County traffic, both," Lacey teased him.

"Then you get to take the calls, Lacey," Kelly said, laughing.

Kelly spent the rest of the day introducing Andy around to the other departments, and to the main dispatch desk so they would recognize his name. The IT guy got him logged into the computer system and he was thrilled to get back to the house at the end of the day after all the red tape. Before they left, Chief Carroll flagged Kelly down. "Hey, Kelly. Could you do something for us tomorrow?"

"Sure, Chief. What's up?"

"We're getting an inmate transfer from Decatur. Could you and Andy ride over there tomorrow when the cage car goes to take care of the paperwork? You know them and can introduce Andy to them."

"Sure, Chief. What time?"

"They want you there about 10, I think."

"No problem. We'll do it."

* * *

"What's this guy coming to Huntsville for, anyway?" Andy asked Kelly on the way to Decatur.

"Grand theft auto. He got busted in Decatur for possession, and turns out he had a warrant in Huntsville for car theft. So the HPD did all the tap dancing and we get to do the paperwork."

Andy chuckled. "Sounds familiar," he said.

"Some things never change."

Decatur was much smaller than Huntsville, Andy could see, but it looked like a nice town. "We'll drive through the old part on the way back," Kelly said. "Beautiful homes and the early azaleas are blooming. Should be nice."

They were waiting in the main part of the Decatur Police Department's office and Andy had met some of the ranking officers. Paperwork always entailed waiting, so they were killing time when someone said, "Well, well, well. If it isn't Detective Kelly Hargrove." Andy looked at Kelly. She froze. Her eyes were closed and her jaw clenched. All the color had drained out of her face. She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Andy instinctively moved close to her. He had never seen her react like that to anyone.

She turned. "Hello, Baxter," she said coolly, but Andy had known her long enough to hear the stress in her voice. Who _was_ this? Andy gave the guy the once-over. Medium height, wavy hair. Looked like all the frat boys he had ever met. Andy took a strong, immediate and permanent dislike to him.

"What brings you to the boondocks?" Baxter said sarcastically.

"Paperwork for an inmate transfer, that's all," Kelly answered, her voice even. Suddenly, something occurred to Andy, and he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. Kelly always looked professional, but that morning, she was wearing her nicest slacks, a fuschia blouse and a black blazer that matched the slacks. Her makeup was flawless and her hair was down today. She was a knockout and he was smacking himself that he hadn't complimented her. Jet lag was his only excuse. Then he remembered the guy who had treated his Kelly like crap worked for the Decatur PD. Andy had worked for a woman boss long enough that he understood Kelly's pains with her appearance were her legitimate weapons if she ran into that jerk. If she saw him, she wanted to look _good_. In Andy's opinion, she had succeeded. He put a reassuring hand on her back and she straightened and lifted her chin to look that jerk in the eye. That was his woman, all over. So he contented himself with looking quietly menacing.

"Can't believe they could spare you to make the trip. The way you stay over there, you'd think you were afraid to cross the bridge into town." His tone was venomous.

Kelly narrowed her eyes at him. "Crossing bridges doesn't bother me one bit," she said. "Neither does burning them." She glanced at Andy, who was giving Baxter the Flynn stink-eye. He was looking imposing (and luscious) in that navy suit with a navy tie and ice-blue shirt.

"Nothing much changes, does it? Still got that smart mouth, don't you Kelly?"

"Oh yeah. Couldn't give that up."

"And I guess you still have that, what, 30 or 40 extra pounds you always intended to lose?"

Oh, he had to say that in front of Andy. Bad, bad, _bad_ decision. Andy started forward, but Kelly caught his jacket sleeve.

"And you're still rude, crude and socially unacceptable. You're right. Some things never change."

Andy had counted to a hundred in record time. His baritone rumbled out, "And you don't talk to a fellow officer, or a lady like that any time, but especially not in front of me. Got it, frat boy?" When Andy was angry, the California mellowing left his accent and it was all hard-edged Jersey.

Baxter looked at Andy and said nervously, "Who's your pit bull, Kelly?"

"He's Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. My fellow officer – and my fiancé." Revenge had surely never, ever been so exquisitely sweet as the look of naked fear on that weasel Baxter Shelton's face as he digested that bit of information.

The dispatcher in the office was enjoying the scene hugely. She was going to have a story to tell at lunch. She knew Kelly when she worked at the Decatur PD, and when the detective walked in with that long, tall drink of water, the dispatcher's jaw nearly hit the floor. She didn't remember _him_. She wouldn't have forgotten that man. And the news that he was Kelly's fiancé made her want to stand up and applaud. She had always liked Kelly, and she hated Detective Baxter Shelton, as did the rest of her co-workers. He was a jackass and treated people like crap. She wondered who he had slept with to get promoted.

"Oh," Baxter squeaked. "Gotta run," he said and went out the opposite door. Andy started after him, but Kelly held his arm and shook her head.

"Don't. We have a good working relationship with Decatur. I think Baxter has plenty to chew on."

"I'll give him a whole friggin' mouthful," Andy growled.

Kelly chuckled in spite of herself. "That was almighty sweet, honey. I've wanted to wipe that smug look off his face for ten years. Baxter thinks that since he's the scion of one of the old money families here in town, that nobody is quite as good as he is."

"He's a smart ass little rich kid and I'd like to wipe the grin off his face permanently."

"And I'd love to see you do it, but another time, maybe. We are on the job."

"Yeah, yeah," Andy answered. "But he'd better not walk out in front of me, ever."

"I've said the same thing for years. Somehow, he's managed to stay off my front bumper, though."

They finished up the paperwork, and the uniforms had the inmate. As they walked outside, Andy said, "Somehow, we got out of the house this morning without me telling you how sensational you look today. You kind of thought you might see that jerk?"

"I hoped not, but I wanted to be ready in case I did."

"Well, you look great."

"Thanks, sugar. So do you, by the way. You know I love that navy suit. Looks hot on you."

He grinned and ran a finger around his collar. "Feels hot, too. God, but it's humid."

"Welcome to Alabama, honey. Fortunately, one thing the Ford Motor Company does very well is air-conditioning. I'll turn it all the way up on the trip back."

"I've always wondered why so many law enforcement agencies use Fords," Andy answered. "We did in L.A."

"Cold air-conditioning," Kelly deadpanned. "You need it there, too."

He chuckled. "You've got a point. It's days like this when a cold beer goes down so well."

"Beer is nasty. Would you settle for a cherry limeade from Sonic?"

"That'll work. I guess you just never developed a taste for alcohol? Wish I hadn't," Andy said.

Kelly shrugged. "I don't like it much. Never have. It's not sweet enough for me. Which makes me wonder how Brenda can stand to drink Merlot. It's not sweet at all. I don't like that alcohol 'burn.' The only mixed drink I really like is maybe a daiquiri or Malibu rum and pineapple juice."

Andy made a face. "That's like Kool-Aid."

"There you go. But I worry about Brenda's drinking," Kelly answered.

"Me too. I know it concerns Fritz, too. But he's got an eye on her, which makes me feel a little better."

"Yeah, he's aware, so that's good. I tried beer a couple of times in college. Bleah. Not my thing at all. Can you drink the non-alcoholic beer?"

"Technically, yeah, I guess I could, but I really don't want to. No use tempting fate."

"None at all," Kelly said, handing him a soda they got at the drive-in place.

He looked at her drink. "Diet cherry limeade?"

"Yep. Pretty tasty. Want some?"

He nodded and took a sip. "Not bad at all. Tastes like they put real limes in it."

"They do. And usually a maraschino cherry or two. That's the only sort of trick I ever learned. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. No hands."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Don't tell me crap like that when we're working!"

"Ooops. Sorry. Never occurred to me that anyone would find it remotely sexy if someone over 18 was doing it."

"Don't bet on it," Andy replied, to Kelly's amusement.

"Something tells me that being married to you will never be dull," she countered.

"Not if I can help it," he answered. "But I did have something to tell you. I talked to my sister Caroline the other day. The Jersey Flynns want to meet you. So we need to get up there at some point."

"All right. Maybe this summer?"

"Sounds good. Caroline couldn't believe I was leaving California, though."

"I'll bet she couldn't. I'm still kind of having a hard time believing you're here to stay, myself," Kelly answered, a smile in her voice.

"You'll get used to the idea, I'm afraid. But I told her was ready to be somewhere they had four seasons again – but with not much snow."

"Rain, yes. But snow, not so much here. It can happen, sure, but it's not frequent."

"That's a good thing. I can't tell you how much I hate shoveling snow."

Kelly laughed. "Well, you won't have to do that too often around here. If you can stand the humidity in the summers, you'll do all right."

"As long as the air-conditioning holds out, I'll make it," he said.

"How are Ben and Bridget taking the move?" Kelly asked.

"They're surprisingly O.K. with it. You know Ben — mister maturity. Wish I'd been that way when I was his age. He's cool about it. Said he wanted to see me happy. Great kid. Bridget was kind of on-again, off-again about it. I think she's secretly pleased because Richard, her stepfather, doesn't sit on her like I do. He lets her slide with a lot of crap that I'll call her on. It's not the way I'd do it, but there you are. And she doesn't want to let on that she's happy about it. But she'll bulldoze you if she thinks you'll let her get away with it."

"Gee, wonder who she got that from?" Kelly looked at Andy with a sidelong grin.

"Wise ass."

"Watch your mouth, buster, or you can walk the 25 miles back to the station."

"How come my smart mouth gets me in trouble and yours doesn't?

Kelly snorted. "That hasn't always been the case, but mostly it's because my shut up button works pretty consistently. Yours doesn't."

Leave it to Kelly to come up with a concise and bluntly accurate answer to the question. "Makes me wonder why you put up with me," Andy answered dryly.

"Same reason you put up with me, sugar. We love each other." She kept one hand on the steering wheel, but reached over with the other hand to ruffle Andy's hair.


	25. Chapter 25: The Heart of the Matter

**A/N:** Well, here we are. Last chapter. I hope everyone has enjoyed it and I truly appreciate every single reader, and each review. Will there be more? I don't know. The writing muse is a little weary right now, but I'm always open to suggestions. Just PM me if you have a thought. Hope you like the last chapter as well as the first, and please, please, R&R! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Closer."

* * *

**Chapter 25: The Heart of the Matter**

Andy noticed Kelly was a little antsy Wednesday morning as they drove to work. "What's the matter with you?" he asked.

"Weather. It may get bad this afternoon," she answered, peering through the windshield at the sky.

"The sun's out!" Andy answered.

"Doesn't matter. In fact, that could make it worse. I'll have to check the weather when we get in." When they arrived in the squadroom, Kelly fired up her computer and checked the National Weather Service site. "Oh, shoot. We're already under a tornado watch," she said.

Casey had come in. "Already? Crap. That ain't good. When's it supposed to get here?"

"Sometime between 1 and 3," Kelly answered. She checked her e-mail. "Well, the Emergency Management Agency is taking it seriously. Coordination meeting at 11:30 a.m. Good thing we're not working on anything else right now."

"Yeah," Casey agreed. "Cause we'll all be working storm duty this afternoon."

"Probably."

Andy was looking confused. "What exactly is a tornado watch? I mean, what does it tell you?"

"They're issued by the Storms Prediction Center in Oklahoma," Kelly explained. "Means if we get a thunderstorm, that the atmospheric conditions are favorable for a tornado to form. They're usually issued several hours before they expect the bad stuff to hit, so people can get ready. A watch at 8 a.m. means things are going to get started early in the afternoon, probably." She looked at the screen again. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"It's a PDS watch."

"Eeeew," he answered.

"And that is?" Andy asked.

"Particularly Dangerous Situation. The Storms Center doesn't issue many of those, and when they do, it's because they expect really, really bad weather. Let me look at the advisory." She read the notice. "Yay. It says 'strong, long-track tornadoes are possible with this system.' Oh, fun. I guess the Chief knows."

Chief Carroll walked in. "About the weather? Yeah, I know. I was hoping we'd get through the spring without too much of this." He looked over at Andy. "You're about to get an education. I'll talk to everyone when we're all here."

When the full crew had arrived, the chief went to the front of the room. "O.K., people. I know we've all heard the weather forecast. It's supposed to get bad this afternoon. For the most part, our uniforms will be doing traffic and so forth. But any of us may end up doing anything. It's gonna be that kind of day. If you took the chainsaw certification classes, go draw your chainsaw from supply and gas it up. Everyone needs to have a full tank of gas in their department cars, and park your personal cars in the underground garage. If we get hail, you don't want them to be damaged. Also, make sure you have your 5-gallon gas cans filled and your towing line in your vehicles. Check your first-aid kits and restock them. Go get blankets and a couple of flats of bottled water. Make sure you have your reflective vests and for God's sake, if you're out in a bad area, wear your boots and body armor. And if you find yourself driving in a bad storm, don't act like you're in a movie and drive through the heaviest rain. You might find yourself right in the middle of a funnel cloud. Listen to the spotters on the radio. If one says he sees a funnel cloud, note the location, but always wait for confirmation from a second spotter. Anything else?"

"Yes, chief," Kelly raised her hand. "If you've got a smart phone, download the National Weather Service app. It will keep you updated on when tornado warnings are issued."

"I forgot to mention that, Kelly. That's right. If you find yourself somewhere without power, that could come in handy. All right. Andy, you go with Casey today. He knows the area and we'll be working anywhere within a 20-mile radius as long as it's in the county. Kelly, you and Shantina pair up, and Lacey, you and Morris are together today. Jon worked last night so he's coming in at one. First priority: stay safe. Do what you can, as you can, but be safe about it. Calls where human life is in immediate danger always take precedence. Oh, and that reminds me. ALWAYS make sure dispatch knows where you are. If you get in a bad spot, we'll know where to find you. If you can't raise our dispatch, call the county sheriff or EMS and have them relay your position. Somebody needs to know where you are at all times. If I need to update after the EMA meeting, I will, but I think we've covered everything."

The last time Andy had been involved in anything like this was the last time an earthquake had hit the Los Angeles area. Fortunately, the bad ones were infrequent. He supposed the advantage was that, if you knew a bad storm was on the way, you could prepare. Predicting earthquakes was much more chancy. He looked over at Kelly. "Can't you, like, see tornadoes coming from a long way off? All the footage I've ever seen of them was made from miles away."

"You can if you're some place like Oklahoma or anywhere it's flat and there aren't any obstructions," Kelly explained. "The trouble with them around here is that the terrain is rolling, so your horizons aren't nearly as far away, and they frequently come wrapped in a rain curtain, so all you see is rain, not a funnel cloud. But if you're listening, you'll hear it long before you see it."

Andy looked impressed. "Wow. How do you know this stuff?"

Casey chuckled. "Self-preservation. Kelly, Morris and Lacey remember the '74 Super Outbreak, and we all remember the '89 tornado that hit Airport Road. Know your enemy," he said.

"1974?" Andy asked. "Seems like I remember something about that. A town in Ohio, maybe, got hit?"

"Yeah, Xenia. Just about wiped that place off the map," Morris said. "And I was working here that night. I'd joined the force in 1973, so I was still a rookie. It was awful. You've never seen anything like it. And the '89 storm hit about 4:20 in the afternoon – just as rush hour started. It was a nightmare. I think 23 people were killed. So yeah, we take it damn seriously around here."

"Have any of you ever seen one up close?" Andy asked.

"Not real close," Morris said. "I've seen one on the ground, I think it was in '93. Wasn't a very strong one. We'll need to get you into the next spotter class so you can get trained on how to know one when you see one. We've all taken the class."

Spotter class? These people _were _serious. "O.K. Sure," Andy said. He looked over to Kelly. "Kelly, have you ever seen one?"

She nodded. "But only by chance. I was still substituting, when one of my students came in from P.E. and said the sky had turned green. That's never good, by the way. So, I went outside, and saw what I know now was a funnel cloud, still in the air. It's hard to describe, but if you've ever seen one, you'll remember it. It's like part of the sky tears itself off and starts rotating."

"Wow. That's amazing," Andy said.

"Well, we can't sit here all day telling war stories," Morris said. "I need to go get a chainsaw and gas up my vehicle."

"Yeah," Kelly said, "And I'll go move my car to the garage. Shantina, you want to check our car for gas and stuff, and when I get through moving my car, I'll move yours?"

"Sounds good to me. Here's my keys," she said, handing them to Kelly.

Andy was still doubtful about the seriousness of the weather until he looked out the west window and saw a low, gray bank of clouds rolling in. In 20 minutes or so, the sky was dark and heavy, and thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. The wind rose and large raindrops began to fall. They had the television on in the squad room and an alert noise sounded.

"What is it?" Chief Carroll asked.

Shantina read the crawler. "Ummm, tornado warning in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, and severe thunderstorm warnings in Colbert and Lauderdale counties. Moving, ehhh, 50 miles per hour, east-northeast."

"Usual track," Kelly said. "We've got right at an hour, then, if the cells maintain that speed."

"All right," said the chief. "Casey, you and Andy get going and meet the ambulance under the Jordan Lane overpass at 565. Shantina, you and Kelly move out to South Parkway and meet the ambulance at Airport Road. Morris and Lacey, I want you out North Parkway towards A&M. Stay under the overpasses until the ambulances move out and follow them. Jon will direct people to our public shelter. Be careful, people."

A chorus of acknowledgments followed. Kelly went to Casey. "You take care of him or your head belongs to me," she said, indicating Andy. She went to Andy and squeezed his hand. "Be careful," she said. He smiled at her.

As Shantina and Kelly waited with the ambulance, they were watching the weather rapidly deteriorate. "It's about to get ugly," Kelly said, peering at the radar image on her iPhone. Then the hail started. Under the overpass, they were protected, but they could hear the hailstones pounding around them.

Casey and Andy were watching the same storm, facing southwest, and listening to the spotters. Casey nudged Andy. "You wanted to see a funnel cloud."

Andy looked where Casey indicated and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. As Kelly had described, it looked like a piece of the sky had come away and wrapped around itself. There was a bright patch behind. The cloud was roiling and horizontal. "It hasn't touched down yet," Casey said. "Plenty of rotation in it, though."

Andy watched in horrified fascination as the cloud passed south of their location, still in the air, still apparently warring with itself. He'd been in earthquakes, had seen floods and wildfires. This, though, was an entirely different proposition. The cloud seemed to expand and contract midair as it rotated. "Holy shit," he said.

"Yep, that about covers it," said Casey. He got on the radio. "Shantina, funnel cloud midair, just west of the Space Center. Probably crossing the Arsenal now. Moving pretty quick, so you all hang on tight."

"You got it, Casey," she answered.

The ambulance next to the men moved forward, lights flashing. "Here we go," Casey said, following the vehicle out on to the freeway. He was on the radio with it. "What we got, HEMSI unit ten?"

"Three cars overturned on Old Madison Pike, with entrapment. Truck 40 is on the way with the jaws."

"Copy that. HP unit out."

"Three overturned cars?" Andy asked.

"Yeah. Probably high-profiles like SUVs, and the wind caught them."

"I've only heard of that happening in the desert," Andy said.

"Happens in this kind of weather, too."

Out on South Parkway, Shantina and Kelly spotted the cloud Casey and Andy saw. "Looks like it's fallin' apart," Shantina said.

"God, I hope so," Kelly answered.

About 8 p.m., Casey and Andy staggered into the squad room. The chief met them. "Good work, guys. The Red Cross people came by and brought cokes, sandwiches and pizzas. They're in the break room."

"Kelly and Shantina?" Andy asked.

"On their way in, last I heard," the chief answered with a smile. "We dodged the bullet."

Andy looked at Chief Carroll like he was crazy. "Whaddaya mean? It was chaos out there!"

"Compared to what it could have been, it wasn't too bad. Mostly vehicle accidents. Some trees and power lines down, roofs off houses, that kind of thing. There were ten fatalities in Mississippi. We had injuries here, but none serious."

Casey had four sandwiches and was drinking a soda. "Yeah, this was more like a drill. The worst of it went south of us. Heard it got real bad around Cullman."

The chief nodded. "Yep. Possible fatals down there.

"How many more times this spring?" Andy asked.

"Hopefully not many, but some years are worse than others," Casey answered. "You never know. Once we get through April, it should calm down a little. Chief, remember November '89? Tornadoes that afternoon and once the cold front came through that evening, we had snow flurries."

"I'll never forget it," he answered.

Andy grabbed a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. He was starting to wonder where Kelly was. He was a little concerned. Several minutes later, his cell rang. It was Kelly. "Where are you?" he asked.

Kelly smiled at the worry in his voice. "We're fine, hon. Just getting through traffic, that's all. We'll be there in just a little bit."

"O.K."

Some 30 minutes later, Kelly and Shantina came in. "Woof," Kelly said, collapsing at her desk. "When are people gonna learn to get out of trailers when there's a tornado?"

"When Jesus comes back," Casey said.

"You're right," Kelly agreed. "We had to stand by while the fire department basically peeled the trailer wall back like the top of a sardine can to get the people out. It's just by God's mercy they weren't killed or hurt real bad."

"Where were they?" Casey asked.

"Out past Hobbs Island Road. They said they didn't have anywhere else to go. A ditch would have been better. I don't know how many times the wind rolled that trailer over. It was 100 yards from where it originally sat."

"A hundred yards? You serious?" Andy asked.

"Oh yeah," Shantina answered. "It must have been like being tossed around in a clothes dryer, but they were all right. Bumped and bruised is all."

Andy brought Kelly two slices of pizza and a soda. "Thanks, sugar," she said. "You'd better eat here, because when we get home, I'm going to bed! If you want anything else, you can cook it yourself."

"Cooking? No way. Not after a day like this." He exhaled and shook his head.

On the way home, Kelly was driving carefully, dodging tree limbs in the road. "It could have been worse," she said.

"That's what everyone else was saying," Andy answered, "But it was pretty bad."

"Not really. No one was killed. Only a few houses were completely destroyed. Considering what the weather people thought was going to happen, we got off fairly lightly."

"I guess so," he replied. "Hope your house is all right."

Kelly smiled. "I think it is. I haven't heard about any damage much out this way." As they pulled into her subdivision, she said, "See? Everything looks pretty normal."

"Yeah it does." Andy was relieved for everyone involved.

"Good time to buy a car," Kelly said.

"What do you mean, buy a car?"

"Hail damage. The dealerships can pop those dents out and replace windshields, but you can get a new car for a big, fat discount. Like, get a new one for the price of a good used one. They can't put the new car price on a car with hail damage. I imagine all the dealerships will be running hail sales by the end of the week. We'll have to keep an eye on the paper."

Andy shook his head. "I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend."

* * *

"Look, Elaine. The only people who are going to be there are Pastor Walt, Sandra and Elle. That's it. None of Andy's family will be there. I'm not snubbing anybody. Mama hates weddings, and you know that. It's really just going to be the ceremony. We'll plan a reception for later on for the family."

Elaine was not pleased with Kelly's wedding plans. "It just sounds like you don't want me there."

Kelly counted to ten. "Elaine, we want something small. And the only reason I asked Elle is because we needed two witnesses and she's doing my flowers so it makes sense." Well, that and because Kelly just wanted her niece to be there, but it wouldn't do to tell Elaine that. At all.

Elaine had come to Kelly's house and they were in the kitchen. Andy and Casey had taken off somewhere. Kelly wasn't sure what they were up to. Looking at cars, maybe

"I'd just think you'd want your sister there."

Honestly, Elaine could be like a broken record. "Even Mama won't be there. Not that it will bother her that much. We'll have a photographer there for like, forty-five minutes. Otherwise, only us. Can't you just be happy for me, Elaine?"

"I'm happy for you. But I feel like you don't want your family involved in this and that bothers me."

"Sometimes, I don't think you're happy unless I'm miserable, Elaine!" Kelly exclaimed. "While I was missing Andy so much I was crying myself to sleep nearly every night, you were all encouraging and upbeat. Now that he's back, and we're getting married and something in my life is working out, you're just acting ugly."

"Well, if anything in my life ever worked out, I might not feel that way."

That did it. "I knew it! I _knew_ it was that jealousy that rules your life. Well, let me tell you something. You've got some things I can't have and some I may never have, so why don't you count your blessings for a change and let me have something _good_ in my life?" Kelly was near tears. She knew this was coming. It was just a matter of when.

"What do you mean by that? Everything's always worked out for you," Elaine said bitterly.

"It has for you, too! Ellie is so beautiful, and Thad is so wonderful and has always been so good to you. So you've got kids, and I can't have them. Yeah, I know I said I wasn't cut out to be a mom, but it would still be nice to have the option, you know? But I don't."

"You didn't have to have that hysterectomy at 27," Elaine said.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "No, not strictly. But what were my chances of getting pregnant and carrying it to term, anyway? Slim to none, that's what, and you know it. You know what else? You and Thad will probably see your 25th anniversary. Playing the odds, yeah, you will. If you both stay in reasonably good health, you've got a good shot at seeing your 50th anniversary. Andy's in good health, but I'll be lucky to have 25 years with him. He'll be 80 by then. Thad's five years younger than you are. In 25 years, barring any unforeseen accidents, you'll both be watching your grandkids grow up. In 25 years I could well be a widow, just playing the life expectancy odds. So pardon me for not letting you have your pity party because my fiancé is better looking than your husband. Lord knows, I've waited long enough for him, and I intend to appreciate him for as long as the Lord sees fit to let me. You really need to do the same for Thad."

Kelly's words made Elaine angry, but suddenly, the thought of her watching grandchildren grow while her sister was a widow threw cold water on that emotion. It wasn't Kelly being morbid. It was true. "I don't guess I ever looked at it like that," she admitted.

"Well, sometimes, we just need to be grateful for what we've got."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," Kelly said.

"I guess I deserved it."

Casey and Andy blew in about that time. "Kellybean! Got anything to eat? I'm starving!" Casey said.

"There's a couple of apples in the crisper drawer in the fridge, and I've got peanut butter and jelly. You must be out of Pop Tarts and Diet Mountain Dew. Or chili cheese Fritos, or whatever junk it is you eat when Shantina and I aren't around to keep an eye on you."

Andy got a laugh out of that, especially when Casey said, "See, Andy? What did I tell you? They think it's their job to keep me in line!"

"Join the club," Andy chuckled.

"What were you two up to, anyway?" Kelly asked.

"Scouring the car lots," Andy answered. "You were right about the hail discounts. We found some good deals. I'm just trying to decide what I want." Something about the twinkle in his eye made Kelly suspicious.

"Let me guess. You found a steal on a new Camaro and you're wondering if you'd look ridiculous driving it," she said dryly.

The look on Andy's face told her she had hit pay dirt. He looked over at Casey.

"Well, _I_ didn't tell her! You know how she is! She can take one look at me and know when I've been cheating on my diet."

"That's because you look guilty when you cheat. You've never had a poker face in your life, Casey. And as for you, Andrew, I was just picking at you. I had no idea what you were looking for. I was just messing with you. You know, midlife crisis and sports cars. I could have said a Porsche."

Andy wasn't so sure of that at all, but he said, "Really, I'm trying to decide if I want a sedan or a small pickup."

Casey had made himself a sandwich and was halfway through it. "Get the truck, Andy. You can haul stuff in a truck." Clearly, this was important to Casey.

"I'll think about it. I'm going to do more looking."

* * *

"Do you like it?" Kelly said. Elle looked at the dress her aunt was considering for her wedding. They called the color "rum pink" and it was beautiful, in her opinion. The dress was tea-length, with a fitted bodice that fell to an A-line skirt. It was shell-pink lace over pink satin and had a scoop neck and cap sleeves.

Elle sighed. "It's beautiful, Kelly. Just gorgeous. And your pearls will be gorgeous with it."

"I thought the same thing," Kelly said, as she turned so she could see the back in the three-way mirror. "And cream or bone pumps, I think?" she said.

"Yeah. Too much pink and it would look like a prom dress," Elle answered.

"I think you're right." She went into the dressing room and got changed, then came out with the dress. "Let's go to the jewelry store after we get out of here. I've got to pick a ring for Andy. And something else, but I don't know what."

"What kind of ring are you going to have?"

"Plain, narrow gold band. I hate rings. But I think I can wear this one," Kelly said. She bought the dress, and the salon promised to have it steamed and pressed the day before the wedding.

In the jewelry store, Kelly found a white gold milgrain wedding band. "How about this?" she asked her niece.

Elle examined the ring. "Yeah. Definitely. This silver against his olive skin? Makes me drool."

Kelly giggled. "I thought the same thing. Now, for a wedding present." She turned to the sales associate. "I'd like to see the watches, please." She found one with a white gold milgrain bezel that matched the wedding band. It had a black face and white gold hands and numbers and a stainless steel band. She put the watch beside the ring on the velvet display board. "That's the one, definitely."

"Andy's going to wonder what hit him," Elle confidently predicted.

"And so is my bank account, but he's absolutely worth it," Kelly answered.

"He's just so sweet!" Elle enthused.

Kelly laughed. "He is that, but you two have a mutual admiration society going, anyway. His daughter doesn't like to be touched. No hugs, that kind of thing. You're just an affection hog, though, and I think you get the love he'd like to show Bridget."

"I'm not an affection hog!" Elle protested.

"A love sponge, then."

She considered it. "O.K. A love sponge. That works. Wonder why his daughter doesn't like to be hugged or anything?" Hugs were a major part of Elle's life, and she couldn't imagine not wanting them.

"I don't know. She's just a little weird that way. The only time I've ever seen her really hug her dad is right after he was cleared of that rape charge. She did then. I'm just sorry that's what it took for her to appreciate him."

"I can't believe that witch did that to Andy," Elle said.

Kelly made a growling noise. "She is so lucky I didn't take a shotgun after her. If we had been here, I might have. And that sorry, no-count boyfriend of hers? Ooooh, what I wanted to do to him."

"I don't blame you. But now that we have your dress swatch, we can go to the florist and pick out flowers. Guess we'll have to do that this week, though, since it's Sunday," Elle said, keeping to their plans.

"We need flowers, too, don't we? Let's see. Andy's wearing that charcoal gray suit and tie and white shirt. What should his boutonniere be?"

"Charcoal gray? Mercy. I might marry him, instead!" Elle teased.

"You do and I won't get after you with a shotgun, but I will take a switch to you!"

"I'd say you'd have to catch me first, but I think you could." Both laughed at that.

"Yeah, I'd be well motivated," Kelly answered.

Kelly had Elle take the jewelry store bag back to the guest bedroom as soon as they got in the door.

"Find anything?" Andy asked.

"Found a dress," Kelly answered.

"Will I like it?"

"I think so."

Elle came from the back room. "Hey Andy!" she said and gave him a hug. "Can I just hug on him a while, Kelly?"

"Fine with me," Kelly said with a grin. Andy always looked so pleased when Elle said something like that. He really did miss being able to hug his own daughter. So he tugged at her hair, and she smiled up at him.

"You're so cute," she said.

"I'm cute now, she says, Kelly."

"Well, she's right, but that's not a bad thing to be. I told her she was a love sponge. Actually, I said affection hog, but she didn't like that term much."

Andy laughed. "Yeah, you're a love sponge, all right. But I really can't say that I mind." And he didn't. He thought Ellie was a wonderful young woman, and it pleased him no end that she liked him, too.

Elle reached up to kiss Andy's cheek and said, "I'll see you all later. Gotta run!"

"Be careful, Elliebelle," Kelly said.

"Will do!" she answered as she went out the door.

"I like that kid," Andy said, watching her leave.

"Well, she loves you, that's for sure. I told her just today I think she gets some of the love you'd like to give to Bridget, but can't because she won't let you."

Andy nodded and went to sit on the sofa. "You've got a point. Found a car today."

Kelly joined him. "Oh really? What did you get?"

"It was kind of a tough decision, really. The last thing I wanted was some old man car," he said.

"So you don't get a Buick, a Lincoln or a Cadillac. Lots left to choose from after that," Kelly answered. "And I've already told you I don't care. You're the one making the car payments, not me."

Andy grinned at her. "See, I thought about that."

"You got the Camaro, didn't you?"

He actually turned a little red as he said, "Yeah. Yeah, I did. Nicest car I've ever had. All I've ever been able to afford are pieces of crap on wheels. And cars are so damn expensive in California, along with insurance, gas and maintenance, you know, I've just kind of limped along. I could always drive my department car if I had to in L.A. But with the hail discount, and cars being so much cheaper here anyway, I could swing it."

"So where is it?" Kelly asked.

"In the body shop. There's a reason I got the huge discount. It had a dent the size of a basketball and a bunch of smaller ones on the hood and top, along with a cracked windshield and one hailstone or rock or something hit the spoiler exactly right and split it in two. Plus all the paint dings. So, it's getting what amounts to a complete body re-work for free."

Kelly nodded. "Mind if I ask what you paid for it?"

"Well, sticker was twenty-four five, but the sales guy said they were already coming ten percent off that for the coming weekend, which made it $22,000. And then, with all the hail damage, would you believe, they lopped off another thirty-five percent, which took it down to $14,300. And they're fixing it for free!"

Her eyes widened. "Wow! I'm impressed! Well, I guess when you think about it, they were looking at the value with nothing done to it, which would be less than what you paid for it. So, by fixing it up and giving you the discount, it's off the lot, frees up space for a new one, they've made a sale and garnered some good will. You'll look there for another car at some point."

"Or you will."

Kelly grinned. "Nope. Not me. I drive Fords. Cold air, remember? So when will your new baby be ready for the road?"

"A week or ten days. Maybe before Saturday. Maybe not. I took a picture. Want to see it?" He took his phone from his pocket.

"Sure." Kelly peered at the image. "Black. I figured. That son-of-a-gun's gonna be an oven in the summer time, you know that."

"That's what a/c is for, Kelly."

"I know. Red stripes on the hood. Yeah, I can see that ginormous dent. But, it is gonna be one more badass looking car when it's fixed up. It's not an old man car, that's for sure."

Andy chuckled. "Will I look too ridiculous driving it?"

Kelly had a mental picture of Andy in sunglasses behind the wheel. Made her pulse skip. "Nah. And it's not really a midlife crisis car. It's the car you always wanted, and can now afford. There is a difference."

"I almost feel a little guilty, buying that beast when you've got a practical little sedan sitting in the driveway," he said.

Kelly grinned. "Don't. I love my Focus. Even more, I love the gas mileage. Is this car a V6 or V8?"

"V6."

"Well, that's a little better. But while I'm still going on the same tank of gas I got at the beginning of the week, you'll have to fill up again."

"Dealer said it got 28 on the highway."

"Yep, and my little four-banger gets 35. And about 28 in town."

"Well, it's my gas-guzzler now," Andy said.

"That's all right, baby. Long as you're happy with it. That's all that matters. And I've got something for you," she said.

"What?"

"Let me go get it," she answered.

Kelly went to the bedroom and returned with Andy's wedding present. She resumed her seat next to him.

"What's in this?" Andy said when Kelly presented him with the box containing his new watch.

"Open it and see. It's your wedding present from me."

He did and saw the watch. His face was unreadable for a moment.

"You don't like it?" Kelly said anxiously.

He smiled a little incredulously at her. "How could a guy not love this watch? It's fantastic. Thank you so much." He took off his old watch and put on the new one. It looked stunning on his wrist. "Wow. I didn't expect this."

"I had to get you something for those pearls you bought for me! And you're always griping about how scratched up the crystal on your old one is."

Andy leaned to kiss Kelly so softly. That alone told her he was overwhelmed. By a watch, of all things. "It's perfect. What made you pick this one?"

Kelly shrugged and grinned. "I was looking at watches, and this one winked at me and said 'Take me home to Andy.' So I did."

He laughed. "It's beautiful, babe. I'll be proud to wear it."

"I'm glad."

* * *

The ladies in homicide insisted on taking Kelly on a girls' night out. Even Cindy said she felt well enough to join them for one night. They met at a Mexican restaurant, where they sat on the patio, drank daiquiris and ate enough cheese dip and chips for an army. Landon, Cindy's husband, was the official designated driver, and would pick them all up and take them home when they were ready to go. Kelly had her one "leaded" drink, and like Cindy, drank virgin daiquiris the rest of the evening.

After about four of the leaded kind, Lacey looked over at Kelly. "Now we want to know. We've discussed this, for your information, and we want to know."

"O.K. What?" Kelly said.

"About Andy," Lacey answered.

"What about him?"

"Guys who look as good as he does, and honey, he looks _good_, you know, so we want to know if he's that good in everything else."

"Yeah," Shantina giggled. "I'm buzzed so I'm blunt. Is the man as good in bed as he looks like he would be?"

Kelly and Cindy looked at each other and burst out laughing. "I'm sober," Cindy said, "but I have to admit to being curious."

"Lord, you three are awful!" Kelly exclaimed, still laughing. "What do you want? Measurements?"

Lacey cocked her head. "That would be a start," she said.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you all. You're crazy!"

"So are you gonna tell us or not?" Shantina asked.

"I'll say that he is definitely as good as he looks like he would be," Kelly answered.

"So what was it like the very first time?" Lacey said.

At that question, Kelly raised her eyebrows and shook her head with a grin. "Let's just say nobody had to rock me to sleep."

"I like it when they wear you out," Shantina said approvingly. "What else?"

"Shan, you're incorrigible."

"I knew that much. What else?"

Kelly looked heavenward. "O.K. I was sore. All over. _All_ over. And I had to hide a hickey all weekend, all right? From there, you can let your overly active imaginations take over. That's all you're getting out of me on the subject."

"Oooh, he's a wild man. Mmm, mmm, mmm. I knew he was. I just knew it," Lacey said.

"I swear, we sound like a bunch of teenagers, you know it?" Kelly answered.

Cindy nodded. "Yeah, and we're _bored_ teenagers. I mean, I'm 55 months pregnant and have to keep my feet up all the time. What excitement do I get out of life?"

"When is your due date, anyway?" Kelly asked.

"Three years from now," Cindy groused. "No, really, they keep changing it. It's up to May fourth, now."

"Bless your heart," Kelly said. "I know you're tired of this. One bright spot. At least it's not the middle of August."

"Oh, don't I know it!" Cindy answered. "I'd have never made it."

"Now girls, you all _cannot_ be leering at Andy in the squadroom in the morning. He picks up on that kind of thing, and I could get into trouble. Plus, it would embarrass the devil out of him," Kelly admonished.

"Oh, we'll behave," Lacey said. "We'll just giggle in the ladies room."

"That's fine. Just not in front of Andy."

* * *

Saturday morning dawned clear, much to Kelly's joy. Should be a beautiful day for her wedding. In keeping with one tradition, Andy had opted to spend the night at Casey's house. Elle would pick him up there and they would ride together. Kelly was driving herself. Elaine had come over and helped her with her hair and make-up. "I'll dress at the cabin near the chapel," Kelly said. It was an hour's drive to the camp and she didn't want to wrinkle her dress beyond repair.

Elle helped her get ready and handed her aunt the bouquet of tulips that exactly matched her dress. "How's Andy holding up?" Kelly asked.

"Asked me at least five times if I really knew where I was going when I turned off the highway. He's nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But he did tell me about his two previous tries at this. His first wedding was a big Catholic to-do at some huge church in Jersey. Whole nine yards. He and the Barracuda got married in a Vegas wedding chapel. So this is a change for him."

"I'll say," Kelly answered.

"Well, you're ready as you'll ever be," Elle said. "Pastor Walt, Sandra and Andy are in the chapel. Ready to go?" she asked.

"Oh yeah."

Elle handed her aunt a handful of tissues. "I know you," she said.

Kelly giggled at that. "You could be right."

Elle preceded Kelly into the chapel, as Andy looked around at the place. It was beautiful. The steep, peaked roof had exposed beams and the walls were native stone halfway up, and above the wainscoting was local pine paneling. The plain wooden pews were big enough for two. A kneeling rail in the front was made of wood, and the kneeling bench was stone, covered in a simple cushion. A wooden cross stood on the stone altar and clear windows cut to the angle of the roof looked east into the woods. A light was on over the altar, but that was the only illumination needed. It was a serene, holy place. The prayers said over the years in the building seemed to saturate the walls and Andy could definitely feel a Presence greater than himself there. It had been a long time since he and the Almighty had been quite as near to each other. He understood why Kelly wanted to be married here.

Her pastor was a foot shorter than Andy, balding, with merry blue eyes behind his glasses, and a grin that lit up the room.

"It's one of the greatest pleasures of my life to marry you two," he said to Andy.

"Thank you, pastor," Andy answered.

"Here's your beautiful bride, now," Pastor Walt said.

Andy turned to see Kelly in the doorway and as she walked the short way to him, he looked with admiration at her dress. She smiled at him.

Pastor Walt took their hands and said, "Nothing gives a minister more joy than to perform the sacrament of marriage for someone he performed the sacrament of baptism for. Today is a joy for me." He turned to Andy. "When Kelly was nine years old, I baptized her. She made that decision with knowledge then, and I'm satisfied she is making the decision to marry with knowledge now."

He then joined their hands and began the service of marriage. Kelly grinned at Andy as she placed the ring on his finger and he looked a little bemused as he did the same. They knelt at the altar for a prayer and a blessing and Pastor Walt raised them up and his blue eyes shone as he said, "Now, with rejoicing in my heart, I pronounce you man and wife." Andy kissed Kelly gently and they stood, hands clasped, looking at each other for a moment that seemed suspended in eternity.

* * *

The suite at the Wynfrey was beautiful. Inside, they found sparkling cider, strawberries, with and without chocolate, and a miniature wedding cake – just enough for two.

"This is your doing, Andrew," Kelly said, seeing the goodies presented

He shrugged. "Since there wasn't a reception, I figured we should have something, at least. The people here were more than happy to help."

Kelly had gone to the window, and looked out over the busy Birmingham streets. It was quiet in the room, though.

Andy took his coat off and came to stand behind her, hands on her shoulders. "I don't think I ever got around to telling you how beautiful that dress is, and how beautiful you are in it."

"Thank you, sugar. You look almighty handsome, yourself."

He took her hand and led her to the loveseat and pulled her down to sit in his lap. After a long kiss, he said, "This is what I've looked for. I've just wanted you."

"So what are you going to do now that you've got me?" Kelly teased.

He nuzzled into her hair and sighed. "Love you. Hold you. Take care of you."

"I think I can live with that," she answered. "Because, obviously, I've waited a long, long time for you, mister."

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations," he said. He kissed the base of her neck and parted her hair to nibble at the skin there. He eased the zipper down on her dress, his hands smoothing the skin on her back. His breath on her neck raised chillbumps on her skin and she sighed. "You know what that does to me," she whispered.

"Yeah, I'm counting on what it does to you," Andy said, scraping his teeth lightly against her skin, and soothing it with tiny kisses. He continued unzipping the dress and slid it off her shoulders. "I know you wish you had darker skin, but I love it. I'm glad you're not a sun-worshiper. Your skin is so beautiful." He kissed her shoulders.

"It's awfully pale," Kelly answered.

"And it's like satin. It's so soft. I love to touch it," he said against her ear. "Besides, I turn dark enough for the both of us when I get out in the sun." He turned her to face him. "Kiss me, Kelly Flynn."

"Gladly, Andrew," she said, catching his perfect mouth with hers. She threaded her fingers through his hair and felt the slight scrape of stubble on her chin. He had shaved, but his beard was heavy, especially on his chin. She slid her hands underneath his collar, lightly scratching the nape of his neck, bringing his mouth closer so she could kiss him like she wanted to. His mouth was soft under hers as she outlined his lower lip with her tongue, and then did the same to his upper lip, and moved to touch his tongue with hers. She positioned herself on his lap facing him and while she was kissing him with every bit of imagination she had, her hands were busy loosening his tie. It came away and went to the floor. She then felt for one wrist and unbuttoned the sleeve cuff and did the same to the other wrist. She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands down the skin on his chest as she did.

"You want to take this to the bedroom?" Andy said in her ear.

"Absolutely," Kelly answered. She stood and Andy finished unzipping her dress and it pooled at her feet. She had wriggled out of the "body armor" as he called it, in the bathroom, and stood in a matching pink satin bra and tap pants, trimmed in cream lace. She stepped out of her cream pumps and took Andy's hands to draw him to standing and kissed him again. She led him to the bedroom and sat on the bed and watched as he took his shirt off. It was indeed those little things that were so sexy to her, like the way the white gold of his watch and wedding band looked against his olive skin. His pants went next and Kelly's jaw dropped as she saw he was wearing the gift she bought him just to make him laugh: black silk boxers. He had gotten a laugh out of them, but had resolved to get the last laugh by wearing them for her.

Kelly's mouth dropped open. "Great day in the morning," she croaked. There had to be something in the Code of Alabama declaring anything that looked this good a class A felony. And not only was he standing there looking totally, impossibly sexy, but he was her husband. She still hadn't wrapped her brain around that concept. He was all hers by civil and canonical law.

"Come over here, you fine-lookin' thing," she said.

"So you like the boxers, huh?" Andy said, his grin evil.

"In a word, yeah."

"I"ll remember that," he answered.

Kelly held out her hand to him. "Well, c'mere. Unless you're just planning to watch TV all afternoon."

That got a laugh. "There's only one thing I have planned for this afternoon," he said, coming to sit beside and behind her on the bed. He brought his mouth down to the back of her neck again, and around to her ear. "And that's makin' you scream loud enough to make the neighbors complain."

"Come on then, big man."

He started those little nips again. "You don't believe I can do it?" Andy's voice was like roughened velvet.

"Oh, I believe you can. I know you can. I'm just waiting to see how," was the answer he got.

That sexy, low chuckle rumbled in his chest and Kelly felt fire low in her belly. The kisses on her neck continued and she felt her bra come unclasped. She started to slide it down her arms, but Andy stopped her. "Nope. All you're gonna do is what I tell you to do."

"Is that so? I'll remind you, big man, that paybacks are hell."

"So I've heard," he said, continuing those maddening kisses and nips along her neck and shoulder lines. "We'll see about that."

"Yeah, we will." Revenge was a dish best served cold, after all. In the meantime, she was happy to let him be the alpha male. He was so well suited to it, after all.

Andy slipped Kelly's bra straps off her shoulders and it hit the floor. He brought his hands around to cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples to arousal. Her back was still against his chest and he brought his long legs around her, bringing her close to his groin and holding her in place with his hands and mouth. Kelly raised her hand to his head, to stroke that thick hair she so envied. He put his mouth to her ear and said, "I wonder if I could make you come just like this, whispering to you and touching you."

Fire started in Kelly's toes and raced all the way up her body. "Almost," she said raggedly.

"Yeah, I think it could almost happen. Maybe if I told you how I love holding you and touching your breasts. They're so soft and fit right into my hands. The first time I kissed you, I almost had you right there in that alley. And I thought about kissing you the rest of the day. When I closed my eyes, I was kissing you again. At your house that night, I could hardly stand to be a gentleman, when all I really wanted to do was take your clothes off, get you in bed and make love to you all night. You were in my blood even then."

Kelly leaned her head back against his shoulder, eyes closed. Just Andy's whispers were the most potent aphrodisiac she could think of. "And when I finally did make love to you for the first time, I couldn't believe how hot you were. You were insatiable that night. Remember?" He laughed again, and Kelly literally curled her toes with desire. "Now I know why, though. It had been so long since anyone had loved you or cared for you, or told you how special you are. Nobody should have to go through that. But as long as I'm around, you won't have to go through it again. You're my woman and my wife, and I love you more than anything else in this world."

"Oh, Andy, I love you so, so much," Kelly whispered in her turn.

"Now tell me what you want," he rasped in her ear.

"Just you, Andy. Just you. I don't care. I just want you."

He slid his hands down from her breasts, across her belly, and one hand slipped underneath her tap pants, and felt for the wetness she knew was there. He stroked her softness and whispered again, "When I touch you, you catch fire for me. Do you know what that does to me? I can hardly keep it together, thinking about it."

Kelly answered, "Then don't keep it together. Lose it a little for me. I want you to."

A roaring started in Andy's head when Kelly said that. More quickly than she would have thought possible, he had her naked, on her back. She looked into his eyes. There was a wildness there she had never seen before. It sent a tiny frisson of fear down her spine, but something inside her responded to it, as well. Suddenly, he was just not civilized anymore. And then, he was plunging inside her, and Kelly could swear he was growling. But she didn't care. It was more than a little heady for her that she could provoke this reaction in him.

She met his body halfway, matching his movements, clawing his back, wrapping her legs around his hips, her hands on every part of his body she could reach, her body meeting every thrust of his, both of them moaning, gasping, growling, past any coherent speech. Andy was touching her and Kelly did scream her orgasm. Shortly after, Andy was collapsing beside Kelly and was gathering her body to his chest. Their breathing slowed to normal and while Kelly was still feeling threads of her climax snaking through her muscles, making her shudder every so often, she felt Andy laugh. The wildness had gone from his face and he was her Andy again.

"What is it, sugar?" she said.

"I probably shouldn't say it," he answered.

"Go ahead. Say it."

"Would you be offended if I told you that you are one hell of a fantastic lay?"

Kelly laughed this time. "No. And I could say the same about you, hon."

His eyes were twinkling again. "I don't think I've lost it like that since I was, oh, 18 or so. I told you a long time ago you do things to me."

"You did indeed. And you sure enough made me scream, baby."

"Yep. And I'm exhausted. You wear me out, woman."

She grinned at him. "Well, we're in a fabulously comfortable bed, so how about we sleep it off?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Kelly cuddled up next to her husband and raised her face to his for a kiss. He gave it readily. It had been a long, long road, but Kelly had found who and what she had always been looking for. Secure in that knowledge and Andy's love, she fell easily asleep.

* * *

As they pulled into the driveway at Kelly's – correction – their house, Andy smiled.

"Home again," Kelly said.

He nodded. "Yeah," and turned off the ignition. They walked inside for the first time as husband and wife, and Andy looked around the house with new eyes. He realized that, not since he had left his childhood home in Jersey, had he ever felt he was really "home." But being here, with the woman he loved, in a place he never thought he'd be in a million years, he knew he was finally, really home.

He kissed Kelly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."


End file.
